Things to Resolve
by ShadowBat48
Summary: Tori is a Talon. Tori is on an impossible mission to find the missing kids and bring them home, un-superpowered and free from Mac's control. But who funded his project after the Court? Where did Mac come from? Answers are found when Tori & Co. are accidentally transported to an alternate earth facing their own mysterious crisis. Third part following Things to Understand/Remember.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay so I actually didn't get that many opinions for what to do with this situation, so I'm going ahead and posting the next part of the story. But there is one small thing:

guys...I goofed. This is a crossover and it just occurred to me that not everyone will have heard of the 'world' that this story is being crossed over with. I am still writing this story and I will try to give as much information(without getting you guys confused) of the world without over explaining it too. It's a TV show, hopefully at least some people have heard of it: _Young Justice_. Loved the show, thought to include it because the idea I had for this plot could be pulled through to that TV show's world...so I thought why not? Of course then I realized not everyone will know it...so to remedy that, I will post this story and those who don't know the show or are not interested in this part of Tori's story will get one-shots every Tuesday or so.

The two worlds cross right before season two of Young Justice takes place and that show's plot won't entirely be the main focus of the story, it's more on how the two plots connect...if that makes sense[it will later!]. If you want to learn what YJ is about - go for it, if you already know it - great! If you're going to read the one-shots - perfect!

Okay, now that that's over, here's the first chapter! I will post the second chapter too and the first one-shot next week! [PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL THINK OF THIS!]

Also, I did not put this as a crossover with Young Justice so that people will be able to find it where the other stories were. I might change this though, I'll let you know.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

PS: In response to the 'What does Grant know' comment(or the question that was along the lines of that), he knows that Mac kidnapped her and used her for his experiments. He doesn't know that Tori's a Talon or that she killed all the scientists back in London.

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Chapter: 1  
Prologue

Adam ran as fast as he could. He ran like his life depended on it. He had been told to stay away from anyone who came after him. It was a pretty logical thing to do and be said, but he had not expected it to happen after so long of hiding. Adam had tried to go back home after being freed by Grant Crowne based off the little memories he had of his family, but there were men from LexCorp Tower watching his family home, Grant being one of them.

It was incredible how Grant managed to pull off such an amazing feat and not get killed for it. He must be high in Lex's favor to be that trusted by the lead man. Lex Luthor was a despicable man who had tortured Adam for almost two years. Just because his superpower enabled a portal to open when he was placed in a machine created by the mad scientist Mac Desmond. He was a brother of some other scientist in the other world, given over to create an army of bionic kids to fight the Justice League on the other world or do something with the bionic kids on the other world—Adam didn't know. He did know Mac came through using something called a Boom Tube…he'd never heard of something like that before, but he heard Luthor call it that.

Adam didn't understand why it had to be kids, in fact the whole plan just seemed like a scheme to get this world's Lex Luthor to do all their dirty work after their first funders shunned them. Of course the payoff was large…really large. Adam had seen the check the other Lex—who he was now calling Lexi—showed this world's Lex. It had a lot of zeros at the end. Sure, Lex had a lot of money on his own and didn't really need Lexi's money. But funding work like Mac's took a lot out of a trust fund. It was Lexi's way of 'giving back' for Lex's 'sacrifice' to their goal. Lex didn't sacrifice anything, he only signed a piece of paper and gave Mac money.

Then things went wrong. Mac was taken into custody and the kids were freed from the lab. Free, but with powers and no recollection of any part of their life. They were lost street kids like Adam was. Like Adam who was now sprinting across rooftops trying to ditch his two tails. They did not wear LexCorp armor, but after almost two years on the streets, Adam wasn't taking any chances.

He leapt in the air and teleported. It was a weird-ass feeling, like his molecules were liquifying—which they probably were, but he wasn't sure. Mac didn't really care about the science behind why certain powers were granted to the kids and not others, he only wanted results—and then solidifying in the time it took to blink. The downside to his power was that he had to see where he was teleporting to, which meant right now, as the world blurred by, the other rooftop was the only place he could teleport to. He needed that advantage, one of the two people chasing him was so damn _fast!_ The slower one kept pace, but only barely. Adam could hear him mutter to the other in another language. The fast one—a girl—muttered something back as they both leapt and flipped in perfect sync to the same rooftop as Adam. They stopped their running, but kept their distance from him,

"We're not here to hurt you!" the girl called to him. Adam turned to face them from the edge as they made their way there. He wanted to get a good look before teleporting away again, just so he can be on the lookout for others like them,

"We are here to get you somewhere safe," the other, a young man, said. He recognized the man, he was Nightwing. One of Batman's proteges. The girl he did not recognize. Adam let out a laugh,

"Heard that before," he said bitterly,

"We mean it. I know what Mac has done to you. I know you don't want these powers—or maybe you do—but you don't know how to control them and I know you don't have your memories—," The girl started,

"—I remember enough," Adam snapped. The girl took a step forward and Adam saw the glint of metal. Swords, two of them. One strapped to her back and the other on the strap around her shoulder. The cloak concealed them well, but Adam saw them. He was very observant. Life on the streets made you that way. Adam backed further to the edge,

 _"Talon,"_ Nightwing said warningly. The girl—Talon—hissed something to Nightwing in the mystery language they were talking in during the chase. Nightwing rolled his eyes at her and moved forward with her,

"I know you don't know Talon. She's new. She doesn't know the rules as well as she likes to think she does," Nightwing said, giving Talon a pointed look, "In fact, this is only the sixth month that Bats has allowed her out here with us,"

"Are you trying to embarrass me Wing-Nut?" Talon bit out, clearly annoyed at the hero. At a different time, before any of this had happened to him, Adam would have laughed at Talon's nickname for the black and red hero,

"No, I'm trying to develop trust. Something your swords don't seem to be doing," Talon sighed before standing up straighter and more relaxed. She pulled down her hood, revealing an elaborate silver domino mask. Almost like a masquerade mask and dark brown hair pulled back into two french braids that joined as a bun at the base of her head,

"We are really not here to harm you. We want to help you. If you come with us—,"

"—I've spent two years on my own. I can't even return to my home because it's being watched by the very man who funded Mac's experiments. I'm not being taken anywhere again!" Adam shouted,

"Wait, you know who funded Mac's work!" Talon asked, taking a step forward. Nightwing stepped forward as well, as if sensing what Adam was going to do next. Adam didn't think, Adam jumped.

He felt weightless in the air as he did so. When he started to fall he prepared himself to teleport. As the change came to him he did not expect to be grabbed midair by Talon. He was halfway in the material world and halfway in an unsubstantial one. He felt another, Nightwing, grab hold of him and then something changed in his shift. Adam wasn't thinking of anywhere, he didn't see anything nearby to stop all three of their falls—there was a pop, and all three of them winked out of existence and appeared somewhere else. Somewhere up higher than before.

Adam, survival instinct kicking in and, shoved at Talon who held onto him tightly, using her shock from teleporting against her. He kicked out at them and they finally let go. Adam was, though guilty for leaving them to fall, relieved to be free. He suddenly realized that he might have very well killed two heroes who were just doing their jobs as heroes…panic and guilt flared, making his power kick in without meaning to. Adam winked out of existence, no way to save the other two as he did so.

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A/N: What do you think so far? Second Chapter is up too! Read and enjoy!

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	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Second part of the story! YAY

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 2

TWO DAYS AGO

Tori peered into the empty and dark auditorium. The seats were empty, the stage was empty, though the a spotlight was on…it appeared to be completely empty. In Tori's experience…empty rooms meant something suspicious. Especially when your friend had told you to meet them in said room. Checking her watch, which showed that it was indeed eleven fifty at night…five minutes after her friend had told her to meet her in the auditorium. Stepping into the room, her feet not making a single sound, she peered around the darkness again. Hoping her telescope eyes, as Dick loved to call them, could catch a glimpse of her friend. Pushing her glasses up on her head so she could see the room better, she still didn't see anyone. The glasses were an excuse for anything her eyes saw that she wasn't supposed to see. Tori, after her change that made her a Talon, had insanely good eyesight. They had tested it once and found that she could see three times further than the average human can. That was almost as good as Clark could see. If he can get away with glasses, so could Tori—plus, they made her look incredibly sophisticated. Of course, she only wore them in class for 'reading purposes' once in her dorm, they were off.

Glancing around the room again and nearing the stage she decided to call out,

"Hello? Jenna?" Tori called into the seemingly empty room, "You texted me to meet you here to help with your photography project?" Tori's ear twitched a second before her friend's voice sounded from backstage,

"I'm over here, backstage! C'mon, I need, need, need your help!" Tori sighed, but smiled all the same and jumped up onto the stage to go and see what her friend needed. She walked over to where her friend was and saw her sitting on the backstage floor surrounded by props from the last school play fuddling with some old prop. On a mannequin there was some dress and a bunch of other things surrounding her on tables,

"Okay, what do you need help with?" Tori asked,

"Everything!" Jenna exclaimed, "I have this idea in my head and I need your help to achieve it,"

"What do you need me to do?"

"Put this on!" Jenna said, gesturing to the white dress. It was an old timey dress. Long skirted, with a tight bodice and little short sleeves. It was actually really pretty. Tori glanced at the dress, then at her friend's puppy dog eyes before sighing once again and starting to strip out of her sweatshirt and leggings,

"Is there a reason for this?" Tori asked,

"Yes, you're my model for my photography project,"

"Which is due at the end of the year. It's only winter break," Winter break had started two weeks ago. New Year's was actually in a few days, but since both Jenna and Tori, as well as Steph and Tim had family in Gotham, they decided to stay at the University and just visit their family from time to time. Most students have left so the campus was mostly a ghost town, it made being loud and outrageous much more possible since there were less people around to care,

"Well I wanted to get a head start on this," Jenna said, fiddling with something in her hand,

"We just finished finals for first semester and it's technically winter break…and you're working on this?…Could you help me here?" Tori asked, trying to get the stinking dress off of the mannequin,

"Oh, c'mon. You've already finished yours. I know, don't tell me you haven't!" Jenna accused as she got up unfastened the thing from the stand and helped pull the dress over Tori's head,

"I wouldn't bet on that," Tori said, truthfully, she had been avoiding thinking of the whole project. She instead redirected the conversation,

"Where the hell did this dress come from?" Tori asked, "It's not from any of the shows,"

"I made it," Jenna said,

"You _made_ this?" Tori asked, "This is amazing…you are so making my wedding dress when the time comes,"

"Pretty sure you need a boyfriend for that to happen," her friend teased as she helped fasten the back up,

"I have a boyfriend," Tori said,

"Oh really? Who?"

"Jason Todd," Tori said. Jenna laughed, actually _laughed_ ,

"That's funny,"

"What's so funny about it?" Tori asked sharply,

"Whoa, it's just you can't date a dead guy that's all," Tori frowned. Sure, only the batfamily knew Jason was really alive…but surely after being alive for so long Jason would want to be alive to the public as well. Fake IDs could only go so far. Silence reigned as Jenna set about tying the bow on the back, the time it took to get the dress on made Tori antsy. She was still uncomfortable about her back…though Jenna hadn't said anything yet. Finally Jenna stepped away and moved to the table where the other things were laid out, her back was to Tori so she couldn't see her friend's expression when she spoke,

"You know…you never talk about the time you were kidnapped," Tori winced, there it was. That one gap, three months, when she had disappeared for the second time. To the public she had just been kidnapped, to her family and herself, she'd been kidnapped and forced to become a Talon. A regenerative assassin. She'd been trained by her great-grandfather and other Talons to be one of the best assassins in the world. Tori had been a fast learner…and it hadn't been long before she'd turned from her non-killing ways. It has been a struggle since, relearning to do everything Batman's way. It had taken a year and a half before he'd deemed her street ready, and that was with a supervisor—anyone but Jason sadly. Bruce didn't not trust her exactly, he just didn't want Tori to do something she'd regret. But the world didn't know all that. The world only knew half the story, which meant Tori couldn't tell it,

"There's a reason for that," Tori whispered, "Okay, what now?"

"You brought your ballet slippers right?"

"Um…yeah?"

"Good. Then let me do your hair and we're all set," Tori groaned,

"How long is this going to take?" Tori asked,

"Not that long, I'm amazing with hair,"

"And making clothes apparently," Tori muttered,

"Exactly!" Her friend said happily. Tori sighed but sat down on the stool for her friend to mess with her hair. In her lap sat her ballet shoes. She'd decided to relearn the skill after her memories came back. Tori had loved ballet when she was younger and different from who she was now. She decided to keep that part of her alive through dance,

"So what's the purpose of all this?" Tori asked as Jenna fussed with her hair,

"Well, it's for my photography project,"

"I know that. We're in the same class,"

"Okay, yes I know that. You're grumpy for some reason," Jenna said,

"Haven't been sleeping well,"

"You always say that,"

"It's always true," Tori muttered,

"Well, you know the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses?"

"Barbie or the actual one?"

"Actual one,"

"Not at all then," Tori said,

"Okay. These twelve princesses loved to dance. Even though they loved dancing, it was also a curse for them. Their mother, to win a war, made a pact with the King Under the Stone, this evil entity that was banished to a realm the sun can never reach by some magicians. The Queen would dance for him for a certain amount of years if—no when—the King allowed her kingdom to win the war. She died before she could fulfill the pact, so her daughters were forced to take over.

"Every night on every third day of the week they were forced to dance for the King Under the Stone in his palace at these dark enchanted balls from midnight to dawn. Their father could never figure out how they were wearing out their dancing slippers every night. So he set up a contest, and whoever figured out where they went at night could marry one of the princesses. King Under the Stone did not like that, so he decided his twelve sons would marry the princesses instead as a way to keep them forever or something…I actually don't really remember his reason for that. Anyway, a soldier, returning from the war, decided to try the challenge. He followed the princesses into the magic palace by using an invisibility cloak given to him by some old lady on the way to the castle,"

"An _invisibility cloak?_ 'Y'er a wizard Soldier Boy" Tori said grinning,

"It's a story,"

"So I assume the soldier managed to stop the King Under the Stone and marry a princess,"

"Yes. And not just any princess, the oldest one. He'd be king when the girls' father dies,"

"And this story scares you?" Tori asked, "The assignment was to photograph your fears. Or insecurities if your fear was an actual phobia,"

"It terrified me as a child Tori. Those princesses, _trapped_ like that. No way out of a pact made by their mother? That's horrible. The sins of the parents should never pass onto the children," Tori was silent. She remembered how William Cobb, her great-grandfather, had told her she had no choice but to be a Talon…and it had been _true_. She would have died and her little brother Cameron would have taken her place had she not chosen to become what she did not want to be. Her whole family was captive by the clutches of the Owls…and not all of them knew it, namely Cameron and Grant—who's been a no show in their lives since their parents were murdered by the Court itself—, "And then there's the soldier. Sure in some adaptions he and the princess were in love, but the fact that the King would just marry off his daughter as some prize. It's awful,"

"That was just how it was back then," Tori said,

"It's still awful,"

"I'm not saying it's not…it's just you're telling me this story right when I'm about to wear these dancing slippers," Tori said, holding up her toe shoes,

"Oh," Jenna said giggling, "Sorry. You'll be fine. You won't be whisked off to a magical world where you'll have to dance until your feet come off,"

"Wait, that's a thing?" Tori asked, sitting up out of her mini slouch slightly,

"Not in this fairytale," Jenna reassured her, "Okay. All done," Tori looked in the mirror and gaped. Her hair, which went half-way down her back, was brushed out neatly so it curled ever so slightly and pulled back in a twisted half-pony. Pin in place on her head was a crown of flowers, kind of like the one Jason—well Paxton actually—had given her for a homecoming dance that Jason had returned to her the first time they kissed. Only this time the flowers seemed much more substantial than the fake plastic ones all those years ago. Red ribbons were braided through pieces of her ringlets,

"Whoa, these are so pretty. What kind of flowers are they?" Tori asked,

"Cherry Blossoms, now let's get these photos done so I can actually sleep tonight,"

"Right of course." Tori said, kneeling down to put her shoes on. The dress's skirts poofing out around her. She couldn't lie, she did kind of feel like a princess wearing the dress.

* * *

"Okay. I think I'm good," Jenna said half an hour later. And Tori huffed out a sigh in relief. Her legs were starting to cramp. She'd been sitting in the split for five minutes,

"Finally," she said, pulling her leg forward and then leaning forward to touch her toes, eager to stretch out her legs, "You're really good at all this,"

"All this?" Jenna asked, fiddling with her camera,

"Photography. The poses. The dress," Tori said,

"It's why I'm majoring in 'all this,'" Jenna said, "Have you declared a major yet?"

"No Jenns, no I haven't," Tori said, looking up at the rafters of the auditorium. She'd been hearing something up there for the past twenty minutes,

"You need to do that you know," Jenna said, "I mean you have until the end of sophomore year, but that's in May,"

"I am clear on the deadline," Tori said, starting to get irritated,

"I can see you're getting angry,"

"Not angry…irritated,"

"Okay, fine. I'll stop," Jenna said, "I've gotta get this to a computer,"

"I thought you were going to get some sleep,"

"I was, but these pictures gave me an idea and I need to make it happen. You can get out of the dress right?" Jenna asked, looking worried about leaving Tori there,

"I'll manage. Should I just put it back where it was?"

"Yeah, and can you turn off the lights? Thanks you're the best!" Jenna called over her shoulder as she left. Tori rolled her eyes at her friend's eagerness and stood up on center stage. Doing a spin before looking up at the rafters again,

"I know you're up there Jason," she called, spinning again this time on pointe. There was a light thud as her boyfriend leapt down onto the stage behind her, and by the time she faced forward again he was standing as if he'd been there the whole time,

"I must say, you are not as stealthy as you think you are," she said, letting her arms drop to her sides,

"Who says I was trying to be stealthy?" Jason asked, smiling at her. Tori rolled her eyes and leapt forward into his waiting arms. He lifted her up and around in a circle before putting her down again,

"What are you doing here?" Tori asked, still smiling,

"What, I can't pay a visit to my girlfriend without some alternative motive?" Jason asked, sounding mockingly offended,

"You're leaving again aren't you?" Tori asked, crossing her arms. Jason sighed,

"Yes. Roy and Kori need my help with something. If could I would ask you to come but—,"

"—I still have school and Bruce doesn't want me on my own with known killers," Tori fulfilled dutifully for him,

"It won't be for long. I'll be back before break is over," Jason said, "I'll be back before January," Tori bit her lip, something apparently everyone knew meant she was worrying. Jason stepped forward and put a hand on her cheek,

"Quit worrying. I'll be back I promise," Tori sighed, letting go of the piece of lip she was chewing on, still unhappy but gave him a peck on the lips anyway,

"Fine. But I'm not happy about it,"

"Hey they're my friends,"

"I know," Tori said, then a though occurred to her, "Speaking of friends, do you have any here from the Academy or Gotham in general that would be happier if you told them you are alive?" Jason looked at her, eyebrow raised and head cocked to the side,

"What brought this on,"

"I just told my best friend that I was dating Jason Todd and got laughed at because, quote unquote, you can't date a dead person. I'm just asking, have you ever considered _legally_ resurrecting yourself?" Jason's expression was priceless,

"I—um—well no,"

"I did, and I know that's because I wasn't actually dead. But what if you need to in the future?" Tori asked,

"Why would I need to in the future?"

"What if we decided to get married or something?"

" _Married?_ " Jason sputtered, then, "It's the dress, that's it. That's what brought this on," Tori gave Jason a look,

"Yeah. I'm wearing this fairy-tale gown to our wedding. It's right now, it's a surprise wedding," she deadpanned,

"Hahaha," Jason replied in a similar tone. They stared at each other seriously before laughing again,

"I am serious about the legal resurrection. I'd like to say I'm dating you and not get laughed at,"

"And I'm serious about this dress. It's got you wedding crazy,"

"That's not a thing,"

"It is too. At Barbie's wedding also. You were squealing like a little girl," Jason said, crossing his arms,

"I was not. Steph had stepped on my toes,"

"You can't feel pain," They were face to face now, glaring at each other but smiling all the same,

"No, but I can feel pleasure," she said in a sultry tone, Jason leaned forward for a kiss, hunger in his eyes. But Tori stepped back and turned around, "I mean. I'm pretty attractive if I do say so myself. Boys will start to wonder and, since I have no substantial boyfriend…since he's 'dead' and all that…they'll start asking me out. It'll probably become a competition because I'd keep saying no. They won't know that I'm just staying true to my boyfriend and they'll keep asking—,"

"—and I'll kill anyone who asks you," Jason growled, clearly not seeing the humor in what Tori was saying,

"This is all hypothetical Jason…or it could be…all you have to do is one thing and there's no unnecessary death," Tori said, "Everyone's happy!"

"Tori…over the years I've met a lot of people who would love to kill anyone named Jason Todd. There's a reason I haven't done that,"

"True, true. But They'll have to face a master assassin and a Talon. I think our odds are good,"

"I'm not saying they aren't…but, if you're thinking of the future like you seem to be—,"

"—I just suggested a possible marriage, you blew it out of proportion," Tori said, stepping closer again,

"It's the dress that's making you think of all this…but that's not the point. The point is, our odds are pretty good alone, but what if it wasn't just us two?" Jason said. There was silence before Tori realized what he was talking about and a flush made it's way through her cheeks,

"Oh," was all she said,

"Now do you see my point?" Tori didn't say anything for a bit, but then she smiled and moved to stand toe to toe with Jason,

"So I haven't been the only one thinking so far into the future have I?" she sing-songed wrapping her arms around his neck, Jason glared down at her, though his heart was clearly not into the gesture of the glare,

"It's the dress," was all he said,

"Then help me out of it," Tori said, smirking widely.

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A/N: Don't know if you spell it pointe or point...any ballerinas out there? Also, I paraphrased the story, it might not be one hundred percent accurate and Jenna's summary of the story is based off a revival of the tale by Jessica Day George. The book is called _Princess of the Midnight Ball_ -it's an amazing revival, I highly recommend it. I mean I kind of put it in my story, it has to be good ;)

Next chapter on Monday and first one-shot on Tuesday. Hope you've enjoyed so far!

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	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello readers. Not sure how many of you are going to continue to read this story due to my lack of consideration for those who do not have the same TV show interests as me, so I'm going to keep posting stuff for this story and the short stories.

To answer a comment question: As of now, this is a trilogy. Depending on how I end this part of said trilogy there may be a fourth installment making it a cycle or I may just continue doing one shots of the futures for the characters for as long as I see fit...or I may just start a different story altogether relating to this world, like about one of the abductees and their lives after being captured and used by Mac. Possibilities are endless. Especially for fanfiction. I'll see where this story goes and decide from there.

Here's the next chapter. Early because it's thanksgiving and I thought why not give everyone a treat?

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 3

"I cannot believe you thought I was implying that we—," Tori started as she and Jason walked down the halls of her dorm building,

"—You so implied it!" Jason said interrupting Tori and defending himself,

"I only said that because I knew I couldn't reach the stupid bow!" Tori replied, "I did not imply that we should—,"

"—Again, you implied it!" Jason shouted half-heartedly. Tori pursed her lips, glaring at him before huffing out a sigh,

"Fine…maybe I was implying it…but I meant when we got back here and not onstage where people sweat and sing and spray weird things,"

"What weird things would theater people spray onstage?" Jason asked, momentarily distracted,

"I have no idea, but you'd be surprised,"

"How would I be surprised if you have no idea?" Jason stated,

"Okay…then we'd both be surprised…probably," Tori amended,

"Okay, so…are you implying it now?" Jason asked,

"Oh my gosh you are such a boy," Tori said, rolling her eyes at him,

"I am not a boy, I am a man. A very manly man,"

"That right there just proved you're only a manboy," Tori said,

"I'm twenty-one. I'm not a manboy,"

"You're not twenty-one until August," Tori said,

"Does that really matter?" Jason asked, trying the sneak a kiss in only to get a mouthful of hair as Tori dodged the sneak attack,

"You're going to have to try harder than that," Tori said cheekily, facing him and backing down the hallway with her hands behind her back. Jason grinned like a wolf and started after her. With a laugh Tori turned and scampered down the hallway, not caring how loud and obnoxious they were being. She got twenty feet from her dorm room before coming to a halt. Jason caught up to her and snaked his arms around her waist, kissing her neck rapidly. Tori, unprepared for that, bucked slightly and giggled, trying to flinch away from him,

"Gotcha," Jason whispered in her ear, "Now my reward—,"

"Has to happen later," Tori interrupted,

"What, why?" Jason asked. He looked really disappointed,

"Sorry babe, I have two prowlers in my room," she said, sighing and disappointed herself,

"You have got to be kidding me," Jason muttered, slumping and lowering his head so his chin rested on her shoulder,

"Sorry. Come back later. I'll get rid of them," she said, turning to give his cheek a peck, "It won't be too long,"

"I'm leaving at five tomorrow—well today I guess,"

"Well, then. I'll have to be fast," Tori said, "Go. I'll see you in a bit," Jason sighed but turned back down the hall he came. Tori then took a deep breath to collect herself before narrowing her eyes and marching to her dorm and throwing open the door,

"Why the hell are you two in my dorm room?" Tori yelled at the occupants, "At one in the morning?" she added, glancing at her alarm clock on the nightstand by the bed. Tim was sprawled on her bed, flipping through her _private_ sketchbook while Stephanie was in the process of trying to slip into a pair of Tori's jeans,

"And why are you trying to wear my jeans?" Stephanie ignored her and tried to jump up and down into them, "And stop looking through that!" Tori snapped, snatching her sketch book from her brother and knocking his sneaker-ed feet off her bed. She sat down herself and glared at the two of them again,

"Whoa there tiger. No need to be so angry," Tim said. Sitting up and grinning at her, "We were bored and it was sitting on the desk,"

"So you decided to look through it," Tori said, hugging the book close to her chest. She did not let anyone but her drawing teachers see the contents of the sketchbook,

"They're really good. You shouldn't hide them. I'm sure Alfred would love to hang them on the fridge," Tori rolled her eyes and grinned unwillingly. She couldn't stay mad at Tim,

"Nope. Not going to happen,"

"C'mon. They _are_ good," Tim said, picking up a page that had fallen out. It was mostly shaded in black except for a few swirls of metallic sliver paint swirling out and around in complex patterns. Not all of them were like that, only a few actually had paint on them and most were of other things. But sometimes Tori drew for fun, that page had been drawn at four in the morning a week ago. She was going to hand it in for one of her assignments that week,

"Thanks," Tori said shortly, snatching the page and shoving it back in the book which she hid under her pillow. Tim raised an eyebrow at this but had to look away when a loud thump vibrated through the room,

"What are you doing?" Tori asked again,

"It's happening people. I didn't think this was possible after freshman year…but it is happening—it's happening!" Stephanie moaned from the floor,

"What's happening?"

"The _freshman fifteen!"_ Steph moaned—still on the floor. Tori rolled her eyes before glancing at her brother,

"Have you told her she's pretty?"

"Of course,"

"Have you said she looks amazing in her jeans?"

"Yup,"

"Have you told her the freshman fifteen is a myth?"

"Multiple times,"

"Have you reminded her that she jumps across rooftops and kicks bad guy ass almost everyday of the week?"

"Yes. Yes I have," Tori sighed before looking over at Stephanie who was mournfully glaring at the jeans around her ankles,

"Steph. You are not gaining weight. We have different body types and you have longer legs than I do. You are as you were two years ago,"

"I could fit in your clothes before!"

"That was before I slimmed down…way down," Tori said, frowning,

"Oh so you lost weight and I just stayed the same!" Steph groaned, flopping backwards onto the floor,

"I _died_ Stephanie. You are welcome to do that if you really want to lose weight," Stephanie's head shot up at her outburst and looked at Tori wide-eyed. Tim stayed silent, though Tori could see him tense out of the corner of her eye,

"Tori…I never meant—" Tori sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose,

"I know…I didn't mean to bring that up but…it's happening often now. More often than not actually,"

"Jason is just as bitter when his day comes up," Tim said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze,

"I know. At least I'm not making zombie jokes," Tori said, earning a half-grin from her friends, "So…what were you guys actually here for?" she welcomed a distraction,

"Oh right!" Stephanie cried, jumping to her feet and kicking off the jeans and pulling her's back on,

"Well. Today was our off night, as you know," Tim started,

"I do know. You're here aren't you?"

"And our next patrol night is tomorrow…but we have tickets to this concert and we haven't had a date in a while—,"

"—so could you take over our patrol tomorrow?" Steph asked,

"Guys, I can't just waltz out into Gotham without permission. I'm technically on probation…especially since the Thanksgiving incident…besides, I can't go out without my 'chaperone,'" Tori said, rolling her eyes. Her chaperone was a nick-name for whoever had to go out with her to keep her in line. It was really annoying, but necessary…hence the name,

"Please? Tori, these tickets were expensive!" Stephanie said,

"She got them for my birthday," Tim added for good measure. Tori huffed out a sigh,

"Fine…I'll ask Dick if he could spare a night out with me. He's probably itching for a patrol since the knot tying remembrance bliss," Steph squealed and hugged her,

"Thanks a ton Tor!"

"Yeah thanks. See you in Comp-Sci tomorrow!" Tim said as they got up to leave, but he stopped as a thought occurred to him, "Have you declared you major yet?"

"Oh my _God!_ I am so sick of people asking!" Tori groaned, shoving her face into her pillow, " _No_ I haven't,"

"I always thought you'd lean for something a little more math-y and science-y but you've been taking mostly artsy classes," Stephanie said by the door,

"Yeah. I mean you're still taking the requirements and Comp-Sci but that's about it," Tim said. Tori rolled over onto her side to face them,

"I am just sick of all the numbers and graphs and statistics…progress reports and experiments—I've had enough of them," Tim and Steph glanced at each other, not sure how to respond to that before they both sighed and decided to leave it at that. Finally, the door closed. Tori rose to her knees and opened the window right by her bed, which was pushed up against the wall and the corner of the room. Jason's face greeted her by the edge,

"C'mon in here Jaybird," she said, a grin alight on both their faces.

* * *

A/N: Hmm, what day is coming up? I think I made it a little too obvious, but still :)

I don't know where the spraying stuff and the manboy stuff came from. I think I was halfasleep when I wrote that part and just never bothered to change it, I think it came out pretty good considering and I hope you all found it hilarious.

REMEMBER! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys! This is the next chapter. I hope you are all liking this story so far, it's been a challenge to write but I'm enjoying it! On Tuesday there will be another short story. I don't know how many people are actually reading them, same for TTR, but I will be posting nonetheless. I don't remember if I said every other week or every week so I'm just posting it on Tuesday because I have one written.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 4

 _Tori opened her eyes slowly, where was she? It was so dark. She felt numb…but a prickle of unease rippled through her…this situation felt familiar. Trying to move, she felt her arms yank against something. Confused Tori looked up, only for her confusion to turn to dread. Her wrists were shackled above her, exactly like two years ago,_

 _"No!" Tori cried, struggling where she hung, "Not again!" Her words sounded watery, and nothing she tried would free her. Fear constrained her heart as a very familiar voice sounded,_

 _"Hello again my naughty heir," William Cobb stepped into the light. Tori struggled frantically against her bonds, she could hear the whip snap against the wall behind her. Unintentionally she flinched barely suppressing her cry, "Remember you stupid heir: you cannot change who you are in your bones," he said, as he let the whip fly again. Tori closed her eyes and cried out, waiting for the resonating crack to be heard and the pain to sear through her body but she only felt the chains fall loose only to pull her flat on her back to a cold metal table. The chains wrapping around her body, rendering her immobile._

 _Tori's eyes snapped open but her breathing continued to hiss out in pants and hitches. She knew where this was, she knew what was happening. Her vision faded in and out. Silver spiraled across her darkened vision and when her sight was there, all she saw were Owls and Talons…all waiting for her to die. She could feel her heart and breathing slow…it was happening again…again…she was going to…_

 _…Suddenly the table tipped and Tori fell to her knees in a room that was white, a familiar white. Like the Lab in London, the Lab where ever she had been held before and like the Lab in Gotham. The smell, the hospital-like smell was present as always. It made her heart beat faster and her stomach roll. She did not know how she got here but she got to her feet and moved to leave,_

 _"Are you going to forget about us?" a new voice asked, Tori's skin turned to ice…she knew that voice…she remembered. Tori turned and saw hundreds of kids standing in rows, all with their backs to her. The one who had spoken was at the front—or back?—with two other kids. It was one of the first kids Tori had rescued before they all disappeared again,_

 _"What! No. Never! I'm looking! I_ swear! _" Tori said, stepping forward,_

 _"How will you look for what you can't find?" the boy asked, turning to face her. Tori stumbled backwards, her heart racing despite itself. The kid had no face. His head and skull and skin were there, but there was no face,_

 _"Who are we?" the kid, girl, standing next to him asked, turning to face her as well…faceless, "Who am_ I?"

 _"Why do you get to remember while we're lost and alone?" the third faceless child demanded, facing Tori as well. Tori felt guilt stab her in the chest, it was almost as physical as if a knife had done it,_

 _"No. I'm_ so _sorry. I'm_ sorry _," Tori couldn't think of anything else she could say. Tori stumble stepped backwards only to ram into someone. Tori spun around only to cry out in horror as well. It was another her. Same hair, same height and build…but no face,_

 _"Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?" the dual her asked, her voice a raspy whisper. Tori didn't understand what she meant, but it frightened her all the same,_

 _"Where's my mommy!" a child's voice rang out. Tori took a step backwards away from—herself,_

 _"Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it," The other her rasped, as the impostor stepped forward. Was she imagining it or was the other her staring to form a face?_

 _"_ Who's _my mommy?" another voice sounded behind her and Tori turned, seeing the kids starting to step forward as well,_

 _"He who has regrets cannot look at himself in the mirror," the other Tori said as Tori whirled to face her. Tori felt as if she'd been slapped…the words echoing in her head:_ regrets, regrets, regrets _. She could see the shape of a nose and the arc of an eyebrow. What was happening,_

 _"Who did this to us!_ Why? _" a group of kid's voices chorused and Tori once again jerked her head to see the kids moving towards her, their faces faintly forming as they moved,_

 _"Shadows cannot see themselves in the mirror of the sun," the fake Tori said. Tori whirled around to face her again, her head aching as she moved._ King Under the Stone, Mac and William flashed in her mind's eye. Realm without the sun. _Fake Tori's eyes were there, looking back at her. Not as clear as the nose and eyebrows that formed, the lips were not present and Tori found it eerie and creepy, Tori tried to take a step back but bumped into a wall,_

 _"It's not fair!" the third child who spoke called out, his voice echoed by a few others. Their faces flickered into being, angered and with hollowed eyes, "You_ remember! _You're_ free! _" they all swarmed forward as Tori stood helpless at the wall. Trapped…no where to go…sins of a father, sins of the children. Tori glanced in the direction of her other self eyes closed in guilt, panic flaring at the mob of children she was letting down. She'd rather face herself than those children who were forever changed because of her,_

 _"Are you sure you feel that way?" the other her said, a smirk in her voice. Tori opened her eyes only to gasp in horror at the picture perfect mirror image staring back at her. Her eyes were dead void of anything—wolf eyes, hungry for the kill—her smile cold and cruel,_

 _"The world is the mirror of myself dying," the other her hissed. Tori looked at the pristine white wall, so reflective she could see herself…but her heart plummeted at the sight she saw, her face was gone. Just a blank slate to be rewritten on over again and again. That was the last thing she could comprehend before tiny arms and hands grabbed at her, pulling at her clothing and hair, begging for her help. The one other glimpse she got of other her was of the clone opening her mouth, but it was not her voice that called out to her. It was another's voice,_

"Wake up!" _a male voice shouted from somewhere. Tori tried to look for the origin of it through the mass of swarming children,_ "Tori! It's not real!" _Was it not? Tori wondered to herself, as she fell to her knees under all the arms and hands, curled up in a ball. Was this not real?_

"Toria! It's a dream. Wake up!"

* * *

Tori's eyes snapped open and she immediately lurched herself forwards. Heart racing and mind whirling at the nightmare she had just witnessed. Arms grabbed her as she nearly threw herself off the bed. Tori cried out, panic causing her heart to race faster than before, she struggled moaning _'no, no'_ over and over again. She was hysterical, heaving for air and choking on the gulps she managed to take in. Only after a few minutes did she realize the arms were just holding her, not yanking or pulling her anywhere. She was still in her dorm room, the lowering moon casting shadows through the blinds. Tori stopped struggling enough to see Jason, holding her arms tightly with a steeled and determined expression on his face. Her breath still hitching, she managed to speak for the first time since waking…her voice was hoarse and her throat ached,

"I-I, oh m-my…I-I'm s-sorry," she forced out. Tori felt horrible for waking him, "I-I..I'm fine now," Jason frowned at her,

"Toria…you're crying," he said softly. Tori blinked at him before pulling her arm free from his grasp and touching her cheek shocked to feel warm trails of tears on it,

"Oh…I-I…I'm…it's just—," Tori couldn't get anything out, Jason just removed his hands now that it was clear Tori wasn't going to fight him and used his thumbs to wipe the spot just beneath her eyes of tears before leaning his forehead against her's,

"I know," was all his said, Tori felt her arms still quaking from the shock of the nightmare. She could feel the heat of his arms holding her close and the way his hands ever so slightly shook…as if he were remembering his nightmare riddled nights,

"You know," she replied, nodding against his forehead touch. Jason smiled sadly and moved to wipe a few more stray tears from her cheek,

"We both know," he said, and Tori nodded again before slumping against him, her shoulders quaking but no tears trailing her cheeks. They couldn't fall anymore. Jason held her, arms shielding her almost. They just sat there, close to each others' hearts…just so they could hear them…still beating.

Slowly, as Tori drifted off again, her mind drifted to her sketchbook. Now tossed on the floor…she thought of one page…one black and silver page.

The last thing she remembered seeing.

* * *

A/N: Intense dream there. I loved writing the second half of this chapter, it was very cute in my opinion...though it got a little dark at the end. I hope you understood what I was implying at the end - I'm pretty sure you all did.

The question is though, is Tori really free?

The quotes the fake Tori said were the most random and deep quotes I could find relating to identity and mirrors. These are the people who said them in order:

Pablo Picasso

Ernest Holmes

Eric Cantona

Evita Peron

Henry Miller

Thanks for reading and remember REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:Okay here's another chapter!

I really hope people are reading this. I know some are...I guess I'm just feeling a little discouraged and insecure at the moment...and I'd just like some validation that this story is of interest or at least being liked. But some feedback would be really nice. I don't mean to be naggy or rude, it's just what I am interpreting based on the number of views, and follows and reviews. I understand that not everyone who reads fanfiction has an account or can comment and sometimes people are just busy.

Thanks! (Wow, I got to stop putting these long paragraphs in at the top - sorry!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 5

Tori leaned against the chimney of Gotham Academy. It had been a while since she had attended, but it was where she and Dick met up for patrol. Usually it was him 'chaperoning' her. Bruce and Damian did their Dynamic Duo thing, Stephanie and Tim usually went off on their own, and Barbara hadn't returned to patrols since her anniversary vacation.

She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and pointer finger through the holes in her mask. It was modeled after a silver masquerade mask, something she always wanted to attend but Gotham had enough masks so there were no masquerade balls or galas—plus villains tended to sneak in with a mask on back when there were masquerades. When she'd been creating her own outfit and Bruce had insisted on a mask, Tori had been thrilled to choose that specific mask. It looked fake, like any one of those cardboard cheep ones bought at any store. But looks were deceiving. In her mask as a ton of tech. Night vision—the lenses slid down when she pressed a button on the side—…though she never needed it…locator chip…she hated the fact that Bruce insisted on that, it wasn't like she could die…and finally a failsafe that prevented anyone but her from taking the mask off. It shocked anyone who tried,

"Tired?" a voice asked, it was Dick who had just landed on the top of the chimney. Leaping down lightly he gave her a quick hug, "Steph keeping you up all night?" Tori rolled her eyes at him,

"Actually no. We're not roommates anymore,"

"What, why?"

"We kept each other up…me more than her," she replied vaguely. Nightmares that prevented either girl from sleeping. It was halfway through freshman year when they decided to opt for single rooms…and it worked out better for them that way. There were no hard feelings, only relief. They both hated waking the other when the dreams got to them. Dick nodded in understanding,

"Warm?" he asked, gesturing to her cloak, which kept her Talon-self from turning into a Tori-sicle at below freezing temperatures. Gotham may have worse winters than Metropolis…which actually wasn't saying much,

"Yup. C'mon Chaperone, let's go find us some fiends…and kids," she said, frowning at the remembrance of her dream last night,

"Just please don't run so fast this time Talon. None of us can keep up with you and we don't want B to house arrest you again," Dick said as they jumped off and tossed a grappling line. They soared through the air and pulled themselves up to a taller building to get a better vantage point,

"I'm just running…and he's only pulled me out once," Tori replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before following Dick onto the next leap. She had had dance before and decided to leave her hair in the double french braided bun she'd done for the class,

"Your running is us sprinting for our lives," Dick replied, throwing a flip into his next jump…a challenge. Tori could see it in his smirky grin. Smiling slyly Tori added her own somersault to the mix.

The competition lasted until they found their first crime to deal with. A car jacking. As they leapt down they switched to their fight language: Romanian. Each set of fighters had their own language for when they were fighting side by side. It kept the surprise on their side and kept the thugs and baddies from predicting what they were planning on doing. Tori and Dick's language was Romanian—logical since it was his first language and Tori was his cousin—, Tori and Tim's was Persian, Tori and Stephanie's was Icelandic, Jason and Tori's was Russian…though they never patrolled together, they just liked to use the language when they didn't want prying ears around…and though it probably would never happen Tori and Damian's was Arabic. Other combinations of pairs had their own language and that variety ensured no one would catch on to what they said. They didn't use it all the time, since it involved thinking and careful remembrance of the language's rules. They tended to use it with little things like car-jackings and muggings.

When Tori had started re-training herself. She had to learn all those languages as well. It was a good thing she was a fast learner, her whole family were fast learners…Tim included. They finished off the car jacking fast and called the police for the family inside the vehicle. Tori opted to leave for the rooftops, her presence often unsettled the victims.

It wasn't just that she was a Talon…everyone knew that Batman had now allied himself with one of the monsters who had once attacked Gotham. Though they were skeptical they eventually gave into the idea because she had not killed anyone or severely injured anyone…not since the Thanksgiving incident. It was the swords that unsettled people. They were not something most people used in fighting anymore. The people saw what Tori could do with those swords, and they feared it. Many rumors stated that she wasn't human…and perhaps that was slightly true. It was in the way she stood and held herself and also in the was she made no sound when she moved even with all the flexible armor and the hooded cloak.

Tori watched Dick comfort the family as they waited for the cops. The goons all tied up like Christmas presents. The kid, a little girl, looked up over at Tori in curiosity. She just stood there watching. Maybe it was also the stillness she exhibited…maybe she _was_ an odd creature. Tori was partly dead, partly living. A hybrid. Walking one foot in one world the other in a different one altogether…a world she didn't remember from the time she'd been there. A world she wasn't sure she wanted to remember…and one she was afraid she eventually _would_ remember.

Others would argue that Tori was not partly dead. She still ate, slept, drank, went to the bathroom, respired, breathed and went through her womanly cycle like any other humans…she just didn't move like one anymore. That was a gift and a curse left from the Electrum in her veins and the training she'd been given. The little girl glanced at Tori again and asked something of Nightwing. Tori could hear. She was pretty far away, but her hearing was almost as good as her eyes,

 _"Why is she staying over there?"_ the little girl asked, _"Doesn't she want to help give the bad guys over to the cops?"_ Nightwing looked over where Tori was, well aware she could hear him. She gave him a look, a mini-glare. He just threw her an eye-roll,

 _"She thinks she can't be down here. She thinks she scares people,"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"That's not my story to tell,"_ he said cryptically, though he seemed like he would elaborate a little bit. At that moment one of the goons broke free. Lunging at the gun either Tori or Dick had kicked away from them in their fight. Nightwing jumped over the car, eskirma sticks out, but Tori was faster. With a flick of her wrists, her dagger sailed through the air, slamming into his jacket sleeve and pinning him to the pavement,

 _"What the—,"_ The goon gasped, struggling to remove the dagger. Nightwing smirked and pulled it out easily,

 _"Sharpest metal in the world,"_ he said, balancing the tip of on on his index finger. Sirens sounded close by, _"Let's get you in a nice comfy police car,"_ he said. They don't usually stay at the crime scene long unless there was evidence in need of collecting. But the night was slow. They could afford to dawdle…though Dick was taking it a little too far and long. Tori could feel her toes start to stiffen, so she stomped her feet on the rooftop and huffed warm air onto her fingertips,

"Cold?" Dick asked, Tori nodded. The one thing she used to love, now hindered her movement. She had loved winter and now it was her enemy, "Here," Dick said, tossing her hand warmers. Tori rolled her eyes and shoved them into her gloves,

"You can stay down there you know. Usually you stay longer than this," Dick said, looking out over the city from their perch, "Here's your dagger back by the way,"

"Thanks," Tori said. She shoved it back in its sheath while her eyes continued searching for trouble,

"Are you okay?" Dick asked, "You seem…off," he said carefully. Tori sighed,

"I'm just tired…and it's making me worry I'll slip. That's why I'm staying away more than usual,"

"You're doing fine," Dick said, "There hasn't been a incident since November,"

"That wasn't that long ago,"

"The only way you'll gain control is if you practice out here, not in a controlled room with Bruce yelling at you,"

"But these are _real_ people who can _really_ get hurt out here,"

"What better way to teach you restraint than if you know they're real," Dick replied simply, "You _can_ do this. I know you can. You're the only one doubting yourself,"

"Danbury said it was possible. Being normal," Tori sighed, "I don't know how Hadrian would've managed that,"

"Maybe we can find him and ask," Dick said,

"He's probably dead," Tori replied,

"He's a Talon," Dick replied, "Plus he probably had children of his own. They might know his secrets,"

"He's good at hiding then,"

"We'll find him if we need to,"

"Speaking of being normal again. I need those normo pills Bruce has," Bruce had discovered a way to possibly restrain the Electrum in her blood through some concoction of pills. He was very cryptic about the whole process…but at least he was trying something. It would weaken the abilities she has, making her less likely to hurt someone and allow her to age somewhat normally—hopefully,

"Bruce hasn't finalized them yet. They're too unreliable right now. I know you want them…but once you start there will be no going back and I don't think you should use them," Dick said,

"Why?" Tori asked, still looking around…of course on the night she took over for Tim and Steph there would be nothing to do,

"Well. One: they're experimental, they may not even work or have side affects. Two: You've only ever been trained with these abilities…without them you might not be as—um—skilled as before," Tori pursed her lips,

"I see your points…but at the same time Dick…that might be a good thing. I wouldn't hurt people,"

"You could still hurt people even at normal strength and speed," Dick said,

"True but, I would—," Tori cut herself off as a boy appeared in front of a store from nowhere. Tori didn't hesitate, she leapt off the roof,

"Talon!" Dick yelled as he jumped after her. Tori landed roughly, rolling her ankle and possibly spraining the other. She ignored the weird feeling and continued to run, she'd heal by the time she reached the boy. It had been a while since they found another bionic. They only had five out of the fifty or so kids that Mac had held captive and the madman had not been giving answers on how to find them…or how to fix the computers that could track their chips.

The boy looked up as Tori neared at an incredible speed. He froze like a deer in headlights,

"I'm here to—," Tori started, but the boy turned and disappeared again with a light popping noise. Tori cursed and looked around until she spotted him a few rooftops away. When she shot out her grappling line he turned and started to run. Dick let out a curse in Romanian behind her and let his rope fly as well.

Tori and Dick raced after the boy, he was fast but nothing compared to Talon speed. A few paces behind her, Dick panted to keep up,

"Slow the fuck down Talon, you're scaring him," Dick gasped out in Romanian,

"Oh _now_ I scare people. Make up your mind!" Tori snapped back in the same tongue. Dick let out a gruntled sound of annoyance but didn't reply. They instead leapt in perfect sync and flipped over to the next rooftop where the boy stood panting at the edge. As they landed, Tori noted how close he was to the edge. They had to be careful, they didn't want him to jump or fall,

"We're not here to hurt you!" Tori called over to him,

"We are here to get you somewhere safe," Nightwing added, his breath starting to even out. The kid…well teen…laughed darkly

"Heard that before," he snapped angrily. Tori sighed, she could relate to his anger,

"We mean it. I know what Mac has done to you. I know you don't want these powers—or maybe you do—but you don't know how to control them and I know you don't have your memories—," she tried to show that she understood, it was something the other kids they had found responded to the most. But this kid was different. He had distrust written all over his body language. Dick and Tori could read others well, you had to when flying on the trapeze,

"—I remember enough," he said, cutting her off. Tori narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. He needed to understand that they were just trying to return him to normal and find his family as well as teach him control. Something Tori struggled with since she had powers and since she'd become a Talon. They were more alike than the kid knew,

 _"Talon,"_ Dick hissed, Tori shot him a mini-glare,

"Sunt nemernic bine," she snapped. Dick glared at her and rolled his eyes,

"Then relax," he hissed back in Romanian, too low for the guy to hear. Before stepping forward himself, placing himself in front of Tori slightly. The action annoyed her, it was like she couldn't be trusted to hold a simple conversation,

"I know you don't know Talon. She's new. She doesn't know the rules as well as she likes to think she does." he glanced at Tori and gave her a meaningful look, "In fact, this is only the sixth month that Bats has allowed her out here with us," Tori felt her cheeks flame in embarrassment. Why would he bring that up?

"Are you trying to embarrass me Wing-Nut?" Tori growled,

"No, I'm trying to develop trust. Something your _swords_ don't seem to be doing," Tori blinked before realizing that she was probably terrifying the poor guy. So she took a different approach. She stood up straight and dropped her hood and smiled lightly at the poor boy,

"We are really not here to harm you. We want to help you. If you come with us—," she said each word deliberately, keeping eye contact at all times, but the kid would not have any of it,

"—I've spent two years on my own. I can't even return to my home because it's being watched by the very man who funded Mac's experiments. I'm not being taken anywhere again!" The boy snapped. Shock registered for a millisecond before Tori stepped forward again, Dick a shadow next to her,

"Wait, you know who funded Mac's work!" she might have shouted it…she didn't know. The mystery of Mac has haunted her for the almost three years she's known of him.

He didn't exist…they tried everything to dig up on him but there were no papers or documents regarding him. No alumni status at any university. No matches on a fingerprint scan. If this kid knew something Tori needed to hear it. She moved forward even as the kid jumped. Tori sprinted to the edge, Nightwing right behind her, and jumped after him. Determined not to let him get away or hurt himself. She grabbed him and Nightwing grabbed her, then the weirdest sensation she's ever felt in a while seeped through her from head to toe and through the weirdest, weightless blur of color yet, there was a loud pop and suddenly they were falling again from an even higher point than was stunned by the feeling of gravity for once in her life too soon so when the kid kicked her, she actually let go. She started falling fast and Tori wished she still had her geo-leaping power. Nightwing was still there, falling too though he had let go of Tori and the kid was nowhere in sight.

Now…Tori could crash into the street below and be fine…but Dick would die and he hated falling. Tori had to act fast. She grabbed Nightwing by the wrist, ignoring his slight attempted flail to get away from her…falling did that to people, flailing was a thing no matter how used to falling you were…and tossed a line of rope. The pull came faster than anticipated and Tori winced as she heard Dick's shoulder pop out of its socket and figured her hand holding the rope was the same, though she couldn't feel it. Slowly and carefully she lowered them down. Careful and mindful of Dick's shoulder. She could see the worry and fear on his face, though he tried to hide it…reading people was easy for the two of them. If he were with anyone else, they wouldn't have seen it. Finally, both their feet touched the floor below and they both moved to contact Batman:

Static…something was wrong.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun DUNNNN! I hope you liked some of the Dick and Tori patrol dynamic I put in there!

Okay, also, I feel bad for complaining about not getting reviews...sometimes I complain like a two year old and I feel bad for it immediately after. Again SORRY! I would love some reviews if you can. It would make my day! THANKS!

Oh and translation! (sorry if the random input of actual Romanian was confusing...I just felt like using it at that moment):

Sunt nemernic bine = I'm fine asshole! (I'm sure she didn't really mean it :) )

Next chapter on Monday and next short story tomorrow! Omg! It's Tori Short Story Eve! :)

PS - FUNNY STORY: I was at kickboxing and my coach was demonstrating a take down for my partner in that class and I was helping him(by default...I don't usually help demonstrate...I personally think the coaches think I'm too short/little for that [but that's besides the point]). He went in for the take down and while demonstrating the move he rammed his shoulder into my solar plexus (little spot right where your lungs meet in the center of your chest) and I had the air knocked out of me! I played it off super cool but on the inside I was like _Jesus I'm going to have a bruise! That f-ing hurt!_ But I bet he knew that he hit me kind of hard though because the next time he demonstrated it for my partner he didn't do it at full force. XD


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: SOOOOO...I've decided to be awesome (as usual :) ) and post another chapter today, because I really want to and I thought it would be super exciting for you guys! Here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 6

Adam watched and waited. He had teleported himself to the Cafe de Roses rooftop which was adjacent to the rooftop they had all jumped from. The two heroes who he'd kicked off him before teleporting away should have fallen past his line of sight now and turned to mush on the sidewalk. He felt guilty about it, but he thought they were working for Luthor. The evil guy afterall did occasionally help the Justice League, Adam thought that after a while Luthor would collect the favors they owed him. But now he wasn't so sure. He knew the Justice League, mainly the bats, were searching for the children abducted by Mac…but that seemed like a trap set up by Luthor. At the same time it would be something that could help the children…though on the other hand it sounded like they were just taking the kids to another lab. Adam didn't like Labs, he didn't trust anyone that worked to or went to a lab…in fact…he didn't like the word lab.

Sighing, he watched the sky again. They should have passed by now. He looked at the sidewalk below…no bodies…nothing. He was partly relieved…he didn't want to kill anyone, especially two people that would bring the wrath of Batman onto him. But this was weird. Adam thought back to when he had first teleported with them. It had actually been the first time he teleported with other people. But he also hadn't expected there to be two passengers, their grabs had reminded him of the guards grabbing and dragging him back to the machine, to create the portal of the other Gotham…the only place he could imagine by heart, not the Metropolis Luthor wanted. Though they made it work, Luthor and the other Luthor—Lexi. Sure, he was scared because of that memory, it was why he had teleported in the first place and—

"Uh-oh," Adam said out loud. He glanced around and at the sidewalk below, then up in the air…it was pretty clear what had happened. Adam felt panic and guilt. He needed to talk to Grant ASAP.

What a mess of a night this turned out to be, all he wanted was some bread.

* * *

"Is here good?" the Taxi driver asked. Liam looked out the window at the fanciful apartment building complex. Not the run down bleary box he had imagined,

"Yeah, it's fine," Liam said, handing him a wad of cash, "Keep the change," he said before stepping out onto the side walk. Sure, it wasn't technically his inheritance money…it was money he got from working at the Coffee Shack at GU, but he didn't necessarily need all that money since he was a few months away from turning twenty-one. The tips were good at that place, as was the coffee. He figured that while he had a huge fortune—supposedly, he had no clue how much money his mother had left him—waiting for him when he turned twenty-one, in April, he should at least have some money of his own. Since he quit BioTech shortly after discovering their secretive motives and the facts of what they did to his half-sister, he was sadly broke.

Pounds did nothing…and Arthur refused to send him any. Not just because money was tight with the little ones in London, but because Arthur was paying for Liam's college tuition. Liam had wanted to go on a two year scholarship, since he had qualified for one, and then get a part-time job to pay for the school once that scholarship ran out until he gained his inheritance. But Arthur had refused. It had been a long argument over the course of the application process, but once the deadline came up they compromised. Arthur would pay the tuition and nothing else…then Liam realized how expense college was even without the tuition and called London for money. Arthur had laughed—the bastard. And then said 'remember our compromise' and hung up. If that didn't prove Arthur hated him, Liam didn't know what would. The hatred was mutual.

It was why he had to get away from London. Not that he didn't love the city. It was just some of the people in it he didn't particularly like. Hence after some time in Gotham's university he got the job, not just for the money, but to prove to Arthur that he didn't need him and that he wasn't the spoiled brat he thought Liam was.

At one particular moment in time, before he got the job and when he had been extremely low on money he'd gone to his lawyer asking if there was any way to take out a little bit of money from his inheritance…since he was only a few months away from his twentieth birthday at the time…but it was a no-go. The guy said it wasn't possible without an adult over twenty-one. Liam had tried calling his brother Grant. But he wouldn't pick up. That irked him, Grant was his biological brother and he wouldn't even pick up his phone? The second time he called him, there was an automated voice telling him his call wouldn't connect because the phone number no longer existed or some weird ass shit like that. So Liam turned to Tori's half-brother Tim…but then realized that he was a year younger than him and would be no help what-so-ever—and had no relation to him whatsoever. Which had sucked…so good ol' second cousin Dick was next, but that didn't work because it had to be someone from his direct family. That also sucked because the one person he needed to get a hold of quite possibly threw his phone across the Atlantic Ocean instead of picking the damn thing up and the others are all dead except for Arthur who is actually not his uncle, but is his guardian at that present moment and wouldn't have helped even if he had asked.

Liam then emailed Grant, which just got sent back to him with an error message. He then gave up and got a job. He gave in, and to his shock actually liked working. He never thought he'd actually like doing that. He thought he'd be an Olympic long distance runner by the time he reached college, but then his parents died and he stopped running. Well, he stopped running competitively. His coaches didn't understand it and Liam didn't give them an answer. He just stopped running competitively. They would never know the reasoning behind him quitting the team.

Liam still ran, he would go running everyday before or after classes depending when they started. He liked the calmness of it, the peacefulness of the pavement or grass beneath his feet and the cool morning or night air pulling through his lungs. He ran because he felt closer to his mother, someone who had almost gone to the Olympics herself for distance running but decided not to because she'd gotten a college scholarship—full ride. Her money had been locked away legally as well, because of the Crowne Manor Fire when she was three. Her whole family had died in that fire except for her. She'd been Little Miss Orphan long before Bruce ever was.

Maud had moved in with the Drakes, a long time family friend and met Jack…her best friend…and future father of Tori. The Drakes had plenty of money but Maud, like Liam, wanted to pay for college herself or at least get a scholarship or, if possible, go to the Olympics. This was before she really felt the power money gave her, this was before all the secrets and lies she told him and Grant about what happened to Peter, someone she hadn't even met yet. Her dream to run in the Olympics was a dream of someone who was untouched by the greed of money and power which in a way corrupted her through becoming a fashion legend and gaining her inheritance.

Liam loved his mother…he never really hated her for what she had done with his memories of Peter. She had made him believe Peter never existed. He had be five when he actually understood that Peter was his father and not his imaginary friend. He'd hated her after that, but let that hatred go when he found all of Maud's running trophies at age nine. She had cried when he came storming into her office holding the trophies and medals in his hands. Maud told him they were from happier times, carefree and dream and hope-filled times. Liam ran now because he wanted to remember his mother happier. Carefree. And a dreamer of all the impossible.

He knew Ali and Cameron…and especially Tori didn't know about their mother's Olympic goal or how happy and carefree she'd been when living with the Drakes. Liam selfishly kept that side of their mother to himself. He didn't want them to think of Maud as someone always facing a mirror, two sides to one person with no way of knowing which side was the truth. They loved their mother…sometimes maybe hated her…but he didn't want them to feel guilty for how they felt when she'd died when or if the story of their mom after the fire but before what happened to Peter was told. It had been three years as of two weeks ago since they died, his siblings shouldn't face unneeded burdens of grief from secrets that remained buried.

Liam sighed, still standing on the sidewalk in Metropolis, holding a piece of paper Tim had given him a few nights ago. He'd been getting worried about Grant. His apartment that he told Liam he'd been living in was a fake, his email never went through, his calls never went through and none of his brother's friends knew where he was. It was like he'd fallen off the face of the Earth. Liam didn't want to get stalkerish, but his brother had forced his hand. He hacked into his brother's email account and found that he had been using the email up until Liam had sent him his message. Not only that but he was receiving emails from someone with an encrypted address. Something was definitely up and Grant—or someone—didn't want Liam to know about it.

He couldn't hack the encrypted email despite being able to hack into Biotech. He had known that computer system better than his brother's, so he instead tried to hack into the messages sent from his phone through the Messages app on his computer. He found several sent to Riley. Grant's girlfriend. That meant he was keeping contact with her and probably called her as well as texted, so he moved on to find Grant's phone records.

Based on phone records Liam had finally hacked into, Grant had called Riley on a landline, which meant he could find the address of where Riley was. Of course he did not account for or expected Riley's home phone number to be that hard to trace to an address. He'd never had to trace a phone call before…his skills were self-taught and he didn't want to get arrested before graduating. Liam decided to ask Tim for help. Tim of course was skeptical. He and Liam hadn't really talked much without Tori being there, in fact Liam talked more to his second cousin than to Tim. He did agree to help Liam though, maybe because it was three in the morning and was too tired to argue or maybe because he could see the worry in Liam's eyes, but he hacked it and got him Riley's address. Then Liam asked if he could hack the encrypted email in Grant's inbox. Finally he told Tim not to tell Tori…or Dick because they'd both try and find Grant and risk the element of surprise Liam had and left.

Now he stood outside a positively nice and expensive building where Riley supposedly lived. Liam was expecting a building about to explode or one with arm guards protecting it from intruders because Grant got himself caught up in something dangerous and gotten Riley involved…but noooo. It was fine, sturdy and safe—not at risk of blowing up anytime soon. Liam was still very suspicious though…and concerned. But he knew one thing.

Find the girlfriend, find the asshole brother who forgot about all his siblings.

* * *

A/N: It seems like something always happens when people try to steal bread...or I guess somehow buy it in Adam's case. I mean there's Jean Val Jean(sorry for misspelling) and Aladdin (did he even try to steal bread or was that an apple?).

Will Adam find Grant? Where is he? Will _Liam_ find him first? Will they all find each other at the same time? Find out on Monday! REVIEWS PWEASE!? :3


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 7

"This is weird," Tori said, repeatedly pressing the comm in her ear, "Why aren't they working?"

"They probably got fried when we did the teleport thing with the kid," Dick said, holding his dislocated shoulder. Stopping her fussing with the device she turned to face Nightwing,

"You need some help there?" she asked,

"Yes," he said stiffly. Tori walked over and placed her hands in the position to fix his shoulder,

"Wait…have you done this before?" Dick asked, right as she was about to pop it back,

"Of course I have. Why else would I offer to fix it?"

"Because you want to see if you know how to do it?" he supplied, Tori gave him a pout before twisting his shoulder forcefully back into its proper orientation. Dick let out a strangled cry before standing and moving his arm back and forth,

"Does that answer your question?" Tori stated, smirking and crossing her arms,

"Okay. I see I should have had more faith in you,"

"It _is_ fixed right?" Tori asked,

"Oh geez, you've never done that before have you?" Dick groaned,

"I did it once! Jason dislocated his shoulder and didn't want to go through the trouble of fixing it himself so he taught me,"

"Of course he did. Other couples go for bike rides and long walks on the pier, you and Jason swap medical notes," Dick said with an eye roll,

"We do stuff like that too," Tori stated, crossing her arms and frowning at him,

"Let's find our bikes and get back to stopping crime," Dick stated, swinging his newly fixed arm in a wide circle,

"Sure a thing," Tori said with a salute, moving to run off in the direction of their bikes when a cry stopped her. It sounded almost too far away; almost out of range, but Tori could hear it,

 _"No! Stop!"_ it sounded like a kid, _"I'm sorry!"_ There was a gruff response,

 _"Shut up you stupid piece of shit!"_ Tori didn't need to listen any longer, her blood boiled in anger. She turned on her heel and sprinted the other way,

"Talon! What the hell! Where are you—!" Dick gave up yelling questions at her and followed. They dashed through the shadows of Gotham's alleyways until Tori finally found the right one. There was a kid, no more than ten, crouched in a protective huddle on the pavement outside the back of a run-down apartment complex. A man, large and drunk swung at the kid. Tori winced at the muffled cry the kid gave and reached for her dagger. As she moved to throw it, Dick grabbed her wrist,

"Don't just throw," he cautioned quietly. They were still masked by shadows and they other two were oblivious to the heroes being there, _"Think,"_ he stated. Tori bit her lip and nodded. When the man raised his beer bottle to crush against the boy's skull, Tori's dagger sliced through the air breaking the bottle and dowsing the evil man in the brown frothy liquid. The man whirled around slowly as Nightwing leapt forward and punched him square in the jaw. The man slammed into the garbage bins with a loud crash. Dick then hurried over to the little boy. Tori on the other hand leapt right at the man and pinned him against the chipping brick wall of the apartment building,

"Wha—?" the man blinked stupidly at her,

"You think beating up little kids is fun?" Tori snarled, punching the asshole in the face, "You think you're better because of it?" she kneed him hard in the stomach. The guy doubled over and vomited a little as Tori leapt way. Once he stopped she grabbed him by the throat again,

"You're evil," she hissed,

 _"Talon,"_ Dick said. Not angrily, "Loosen up," Tori realized the man was scrabbling at her fingers and threw him over her shoulder and onto the hard pavement. The man coughed and lay there moaning. Tori stepped forward to deliver another punch when a red and black caped figure leapt down to her right. Everyone froze. She stood where she was, arm raised for the hit, Dick stood a few feet over, an arm around the sobbing boy's shoulders.

At first Tori thought it was Tim. The color's were all there…but the R symbol was in plain sight and there was no winged harness. Tori narrowed her eyes,

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing?" she snapped. _Damian_ was Robin. He was shorter and younger… _not_ this impostor,

"I'm Robin. I should be asking you that same question," the faker said, snapping out a bo staff that crackled with electricity,

"We were doing our job," Tori said icily, carefully reaching for her dagger under her cloak,

"Beating a man senseless is your job?" the liar asked skeptically, "An abusive jerk yes, but that's not how it's done…and I've never seen you before,"

"I've never seen you before either. You're not Robin," Tori snapped,

"I think I know who I am. Now step away from that man and assume the position," Tori let out a laugh,

"That's cute," Tori said, "But you cannot tell me what to do. I'm a hero in this city same as all the others,"

"Only Batman has a say in things concerning our city's protectors," the boy growled, narrowing his eyes at her, "Now stand down," Tori glared and stepped forward slightly. The kid slid deeper into a fighting stance. Talon was about to pounce when Dick lightly grabbed her wrist,

"When did it rain in the past few minutes since we fell?" Nightwing whispered to her in Romanian, Tori glanced to where he was nodding to see puddles of rain and snow sludge…and now that he mentioned it, the air was warmer than it had been before. There was still an icy bite indicating that it was winter…but it was generally warmer. Dick stepped forward to stand next to Tori, the moonlight now illuminating his face and suit. Fake Robin's eyes widened when he saw Nightwing. But then his expression darkened and without warning he leapt forward. Tori threw her dagger just as he moved but he twisted to dodge it. Growling in annoyance Tori flipped over his attack and dove for her precious weapon, she worked hard on the blade and she wouldn't lose it. Dick already had his eskirma sticks out and was fighting off the fake's attacks. It was clear the kid was skilled…but not that used to fighting as he let on.

Tori sheathed her dagger. Yes, she could use her swords…but she's been trying to rely on them less than before and she didn't want to actually hurt the fake Robin or accidentally injure Dick. She instead sprinted forward and jumped up, planting a foot on the wall and pushed off off it to land a strong punch, but the liar rolled out of the way and she only punched pavement. Feeling a few knuckles…probably her whole hand…break she quickly rolled with her punch, jumping to her feet immediately and settled for a nice kick. It hit him square in the chest and sent him flying into a swing from Dick's eskirma stick. Faker stumbled away shaking his head dizzily before standing up straight and moving to slam his electrified staff into Tori's gut. She dodged but only barely and felt the sizzle of the weapon before she slammed into the wall nearest her. Dick did a few complicated flips trying to confuse the kid, but was also knocked away by the staff. His suit was insulated like Tori's, but the electricity still stung slightly,

"We need to get out of here. Something strange is going on," Dick said in fight language. Tori nodded in agreement. But before they could move to the rooftops Fake Robin threw down a smoke pellet and threw a re-breather over his face while doing the same for the kid he'd managed to roll next to. It was too fast for her and Dick to get their gas masks on and once she got a smell of that stuff the world started to spin. She fell to her knees. Talons were susceptible to certain knockout gases as it turned out. Nightwing was slumped over beside her.

 _Well crap,_ she thought, before passing out.

A/N: Uh-oh alternate world mishaps! Next chapter on Monday and I'll try to get a short story up on Tuesday, but it's hell week(the week before break)and I have tons of work for school. I'll try though!

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Happy almost Christmas everyone! Hope you are having a great break, I know I am...I REALLY needed a break (and yet I still have a billion things due right after break : [ ). Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 8

Liam stood outside the door. He was uncertain as to whether this was the right Riley. What if it was some stranger? What if it was a dude…there were dude's that were named Riley, Liam was pretty sure of it. Then he'd be back to square one…though Tim didn't seem like the type of guy to make that sort of mistake. He realized he was probably being silly freaking out over talking to some girl…it was just that, he'd never actually really met Riley. Grant had been dating her while at college, senior year. He was probably going to introduce her, but then Maud and Max died…and they moved to London so there never really was a chance.

Shaking his head and squaring his shoulders, he knocked. Liam waited. No one came. He knocked again, louder this time. Thinking she hadn't heard him. He waited again. Liam sighed, she probably wasn't home. He turned to leave only to stop at the sound of something being knocked over sounded behind the door. Liam waited again, waiting to hear the lock turn and the door to open but nothing happened. An uneasy feeling made Liam march up to the door and press his ear to it. Nothing was sounding now, and that was suspicious.

Carefully and quietly Liam pulled out a paperclip and a bobby pin. Grant had taught him a few tricks when they were younger. His brother had a knack for finding things that were hidden. Birthday presents, Christmas presents, easter eggs, old pictures of Peter, Maud's most darkest secrets—anything that was hidden he could and would find. Especially if it was behind locked doors. Since learning the skill Liam kept numerous amounts of paper clips and bobby pins on him at all times.

Liam remembered finding Grant's particularly good finding skills annoying until his big brother taught him all the lock-picking tricks he had up his sleeves. No door was locked to him ever again. Liam in turn taught Tori, who eventually taught Ali…who may or may not teach Cameron. Liam didn't know…it was a sibling tradition of the past. Now though, he was very grateful for his brother's lessons as the lock clicked open and Liam eased the door open silently.

The possibility of getting arrested for breaking and entering did not scare him in the least. He had a pretty justified excuse and it wasn't like it was BioTech. That one incident was entirely Tori's fault. Though he did enable her…he felt guilty for helping the company that abducted her and thought doing the breaking and entering thing would make up for it. Turns out it just got him shot…which was painful and annoying…because of Tori's asshole boyfriend Red Hood.

Liam rolled his eyes at the thought of that event before inching into the apartment and silently started to look around. It was a nice place. A living room with a fine TV, a poofy sofa and a kitchen corner area. A few plants dotted the rooms and a small balcony overlooking Metropolis was behind a table with three chairs around it. The bedroom was off to the left. Some pictures were on the coffee-table, which Liam recognized as family photos of himself and his siblings. The apartment was silent and dark…he debated calling out hello but thought better of it. That's the stupidest thing to do, if watching horror movies taught him anything it's that you never call out 'hello' in a dark house.

Suddenly there was a sound of something clicking and a familiar cold metal thing touching the back of Liam's neck—a gun. He froze and slowly raised his hands up by his head to show he was unarmed,

"Don't move a muscle," a female voice growled, "Or I shoot,"

"Wait…don't," Liam said calmly and carefully, "I've only come to talk,"

"Please. Like I'd fall for that," she snorted,

"I need to talk about Grant…or at least where I can find him," Riley didn't say anything so Liam, regretfully, took that as an opportunity to quickly whirl around and swipe her legs out from under her. She landed hard on her butt and the gun skidded across the living room,

"Riley?" Liam asked skeptically,

"Liam?" Riley asked, looking up at him guiltily. Liam didn't think she should be very guilty, Liam thinks he should be guilty seeing as Riley was very very pregnant…and he'd just tripped her,

"Am I going to be an uncle?" he blurted, not knowing what else to say. Riley smiled lightly and placed a hand on her stomach,

"Yes. You are…but it's a secret,"

"Clearly it's a big one if Grant's not answering his phone, email or texts," Riley frowned, her green eyes crinkling in worry,

"He's been busy," she said,

"That's what I want to talk about," Liam said offering a hand up—least he could do, "Where the hell is he?"

"He's working," Riley said, getting up off the floor, ignoring the hand Liam offered her,

"Working? Really? I get not wanting to take us in after mom and Max died. I get not taking us in after he graduated. But I don't get not calling, or FaceTiming or emailing or texting at all. Not even just now when I needed to talk to him. I'm talking for all the time we were in London…hell he doesn't even know what Tori's been through! It makes no sense and is frankly an asshole-ish move," Riley sat calmly on the sofa, hand rubbing her stomach with a perplexed look on her face,

"I agree. It is asshole-ish," she said finally, "But I still can't tell you where he is,"

"And why's that?"

"Because at the moment I'm not even sure where he is," Liam felt his mouth gap open…no words coming, he just opened it and closed it before finally coming up with something to say,

"Mom did not raise him this way,"

"If I recall she barely raised you five at all. It was the nanny. Jess,"

"That was after Tori was born," Liam said defensively, "They both took care of us," Riley laughed,

"Grant always said you were a mama's boy…especially ironic considering she messed with your memories of Peter,"

"This isn't about me. Grant fucking left you!" Liam snapped. He was _not_ a mama's boy…he just missed her. Parent's getting murdered did that to you,

"He didn't leave me," Riley said frowning. Liam wondered if Riley was in denial,

"Well he's not here and you don't know where he is,"

"He's working,"

"Is that what you tell yourself?" he didn't mean for that to come out so harshly, he was just angry with his brother,

"Liam. It's complicated. His job is not an easy one. He leaves for days at a time and then again immediately after one job is over without even coming home. He calls when he can, but that's usually not possible," she didn't say it sadly…just as if it were to be expected,

"What job does he have?"

"One I can't tell you about,"

"Can you at least give me a number?" he asked, worry still there for his bro,

"I can't. He calls me,"

"Don't you have caller ID?"

"It's a burner phone,"

"What kind of job requires burners?" Liam demanded. Riley was silent. Absentmindedly twirling a piece of her light blond hair, "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"It depends on how you see it," Riley said after a minute or two, "He's attempting to right a wrong…but I don't see how he will do that. It's much bigger than just him,"

"What is 'it'?" Liam asked,

"I think you should go," Riley said abruptly, as if just remembering something,

"What?"

"Trust me, you need to go,"

"Why—,"

"—Grant doesn't need them holding you over his head too,"

"Wait? Hold on…what are you—," Riley was pulling him towards the still open door,

"—Trust me…go," she said, pushing him out into the hallway,

"Are you in trouble?" Liam asked, Riley bit her lip before shaking her head,

"All employees are watched…but Grant has had a few…misdemeanors and they don't like resilience,"

"He is in trouble,"

"Not completely,"

"I think he is completely in trouble,"

"Go back to school Liam. All will be well. Goodbye," she said, starting to close the door,

"Call me when you deliver?" he asked before she shut it completely. Riley smiled,

"Of course," she agreed before the door firmly shut. Liam shook his head and started down the hall too the elevators. Once outside the building he looked up and around, trying to find any watchers…there were none to be seen…though Liam could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as though they were right behind him breathing down his neck. Something was not right….Grant needed help. More importantly…Liam needed help. After hailing a taxi Liam dialed a number on his phone. He drummed his fingers on his leg in impatience,

"Tim…I know it's three in the morning again but something's wrong…"

* * *

A/N: The mysterious Riley! Tell me what you think of her! Also, Tim's going to be so pissed at Liam for waking him up...AGAIN.

And REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: What's this? An extra chapter! I thought: Why not? Here you guys go!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 9

Tori woke up abruptly. She sprung into an upright position, panic flaring slightly at the unknown location. Tori was lying in a bed. Well…a crappy bed. It was a metal bunkbed…an uncomfortable mattress with no sheets and one crummy pillow. Tori usually slept with two pillows when Jason did not steal the second. When he did steal the second, she used him as a pillow. She briefly wondered where he was and what he was doing. Tori shook her head, not time to think of that, time to figure out where the hell she was.

It didn't take that long to figure it out. All it took was a glance. She was in a cell. A cell from the prison of Bell Reve…no idea why the Robin imposter took her specifically to Bell Reve, but once Batman got her out they were going to have a hunting party for the liar. Then she'd have the satisfaction of putting him in this very same cell.

A second thing she noticed other than her location was that her weapons were gone. The bastard sword and the dagger were both gone. The Spadone was back at the manor because it was too big and bulky to take on patrol. Along with her favorite weapons, her cloak was gone as were her shoes and socks—though her mask was still in place. She was freezing. Of course it wasn't cold enough to freeze her, but without the warmth the cloak provided, it felt at least fifteen degrees colder than it actually was.

Tori, wondering where Dick was, leapt off the bottom bunk and walked over to the clear glass prison door. It was obviously some sort of special glass with an overly complex name meant to keep metas from breaking it so she didn't bother punching it, she instead rapped the glass with the palm of her hand. Hoping to get someone's attention. As she smacked the glass again a guard to her right jerked to attention and moved to stand in front of the glass. He stared at her warily. Tori offered her best stink eye,

"Where's the guy I was with?" she asked,

"He's speaking with Batman,"

"Oh, Batman's here?" Tori asked, "I want to speak with him too. About the imposter calling himself Robin swinging around Gotham!"

"I'm no imposter," the said liar himself stated, stepping into her line of sight. He sounded irritated. Tori glared at him,

"You're _not_ Robin,"

"I've been Robin for almost two years," Tori blinked at him. The 'two years' Robin turned to the guard,

"Tell Batman she's awake," the guard nodded and left,

"Why am I in a cell?"

"Why are you wearing a cape and mask pretending to be a vigilante of Gotham?" the faker asked in return,

"I am not pretending to be anything!"

"How long have you been out in Gotham at night?"

"That is not your concern,"

"It is my concern. We need to figure out who you are,"

"You don't need to do that. Batman already knows who I am," Tori said, "and that's all who needs to know. Only him and the people inside the family," the kid widened his eyes, perplexed,

"Family?" he asked. Tori rolled her eyes,

"It's not like you'd understand," silence reigned and it gave Tori an opportunity to observe the faker. He was either thirteen or fourteen…maybe fifteen…it was hard to tell with the mask. He had short cut brown hair and was pretty muscular. He was biting his lip too…as if he had something to say,

"What?" she asked,

"I'm just curious. How are you so sure Batman knows you? I mean, I've never seen you since before tonight and I know most of the villains he's fought against during his whole career—,"

"—villain?" Tori ground out, silently seething. The faker had the gall to flush in embarrassment,

"I just assumed…you're dressed in dark colors and wear a hood,"

"So does Batman and Batgirl," Tori snapped,

"But you have those swords…and it's just in the way you stand. Also…your feet…" he trailed off and they both looked down. They had taken Tori's socks and most of her heat with them. Now her pale skin showed just to the ankle and the swirling black veins were plain as day. Self conscious she curled her toes under her feet until she heard the knuckles crack…another bad habit she's picked up but it also stretched her toes well and prevented her from responding to the imposter. She instead looked up at him, a glare in place,

"Just tell me where Batman is. No better yet, tell me where _Nightwing_ is," Tori demanded,

"I'm right here," a familiar voice said as a young man in a blue and black uniform stepped into sight next to the faker Robin. Tori stared at the new comer. Anger and confusion swirling through her head,

"You're _not_ Nightwing," was all Tori could say. It was another imposter…a very good look-alike but the design on the suit was wrong and the color was blue, not red. Dick had chosen the color red because the uniforms he and his family wore to preform at the circus were blue. He didn't want to draw connections so he chose a different color just to be safe. This guy wore blue and he glared at her as if she'd done something wrong. Her cousin would never glare at her like that…well maybe only if she'd done something _really_ wrong like kill someone,

"Yes I am," the liar said flatly,

"Prove it," she said, "What's my name?"

"There's nothing to prove," the fake Robin said, "We know Batman. Batman doesn't know you. He told us he's never seen you before, ever," Tori couldn't believe the lies these assholes were spurting, "Either Batman's lying, or the Nightwing you're working with is using your belief in his false identity against you," Tori wasn't saying anything. She wasn't even paying attention to them. Something very weird was going on. Tori remembered the rain and snow sludge in the alleyway right before they were knocked out. She remembered the teleporting boy that took them with him to where ever he intended to teleport them to,

"I _need_ to see him," she said,

"Batman's busy—," the fake Nightwing said,

"Not him…Nightwing…the other one,"

"He's busy too—," fake Robin said,

"Make him un-busy," Tori snapped, "Or I'm breaking out of here and finding him myself," the liars shared a glance before just standing there, "You two are assholes," Tori snapped before turning her back on them and sinking to the floor, criss-cross applesauce. She needed to think on how to escape. It's a good thing she was a master escape artist. Those assholes won't know what hit them.

* * *

He looked just like him. _Exactly_ like him. The way they walk/ move, their stature, their hair color…all the same. Carbon copies. They had dealt with clones before. Superboy for one. A perfect copy of Superman…only younger. This one was the same age as Nightwing, if not a bit older. He even _smirked_ like him. Bruce never had to deal with clones before. He was usually careful about leaving anything behind that could be used against them. Clothing. Hair. Fingerprints. Any form of DNA that could be used to identify or clone them. Double identities were to be protected, and if those were exploited through access to DNA…then his whole operation would be destroyed. Everyone he cared about in danger because of one simple mistake.

They just sat there staring at each other, not speaking. It was uncanny how something like this just stunned Bruce…the great Batman, the one who isn't shaken by anything, except apparently the twin of his first partner. The silence grew until he finally spoke,

"I'm not a clone," he said it so simply. As if he were speaking the truth. And unless Dick was lying about his family in that he was an only child, he wasn't speaking the truth, "I can prove it,"

"Prove it," Bruce agreed. Not taking his eyes off the man. Slowly, as if to show that he was not trying to attack, he reached to his left hand and pulled off his glove. He then splayed his hand on the table as if it were the proof. Bruce glared at him until the clone sighed and rolled his eyes,

"And here I thought you were a detective. First off. I'm left handed. Second off, I'm married—,"

"—So? That proves nothing—" Bruce growled even as the other man continued speaking,

"—to Barbara Gordon, well Grayson now. We've been married for a year, actually expecting our first child…but no one knows that yet. We were going to tell everyone once we were all together for New Year's in a few days, but I guess that won't be possible right now," Batman resisted the urge to slam the man into the other wall. If they cloned Barbara too, the whole Justice League could be in jeopardy…in fact, this could be related to the missing sixteen hours, those hours when Vandal Savage took mental control of the entire Justice League…but Dick hadn't been affected by the mind control technology, so how would they have cloned him?

"I'm not a clone. I _am_ Dick Grayson. But not on this world," he said,

"Are you suggesting that there are other worlds?" Bruce asked,

"Yeah. My world's Batman has in fact traveled to some of them. There are parallel worlds where things are so similar that it's hard to tell the difference between one world and the other, but then there are alternate worlds. One's that are so different the only logical explanation is an alternate universe," he sounded so sure, but Bruce was still skeptical, "Oh c'mon, you fight side by side with aliens, super humans and androids, how outrageous are other worlds?"

"So which are we? Parallel or alternate?" he asked, deciding to humor him,

"Alternate,"

"And how is your world different from ours?" Bruce asked,

"In our world," 'Dick' started, "The Joker's dead," Bruce felt his insides turn to ice at the mention of that madman's name. The one who murdered his so—Robin, the one who murdered Robin. He was dead in their world but how—,

"And Jason's alive," that hit him in the gut. There was no way that could be true. This was all a lie, a trick from the light sent to mess with everyone. A ploy to distract them from the big picture. The fake Nightwing sighed and reached for his phone just as the door opened and a guard poked his head in,

"The girl's awake…um Batman… sir," Bruce nodded, "She demanded to see you,"

"Tell her to wait. I need evidence," he said to the young man across from him,

"Should I go—?" The guard asked,

"No. We'll be out of here in a minute. I have all the proof I need right here," 'Nightwing' said as he scrolled through his phone. The guard and Batman looked at him oddly, "Ah, here it is," he said before sliding the phone over to Bruce…who just realized they should have taken it from him. Especially if his hacking skills are anywhere as good as his counterparts. Bruce shook his head, _I can't believe I'm already believing his story_ he thought to himself. When he looked at the 'evidence' he had slid over to him…he believed Dick. It was a photo, it seemed to be caught on the fly of two boys. One was clearly Dick. It was his eyes that gave it away. Even in an alternate world his eyes were a specific dark blue, unique in that no other person could have that shade of blue as an eye color, as well as his height. He had his arm thrown around another boy's shoulder. An angry looking boy who was much taller with a head of thick black hair and blue-green eyes, glaring angrily at Dick even as the picture was taken. It was _Jason_. Older. Older than when he had died in this world. It was clear that it wasn't a hologram, he was a living, breathing and extremely angry young man. He was alive. Bruce believed him. Batman stood,

"Take us to her," he told the guard, who turned and left. Dick moved to follow him, but Bruce grabbed his arm, "I may believe you. But I don't know _her._ I've never seen her before in my life," Dick shrugged,

"It's an alternate world. Not everyone who exists in one world will exist in the other," was all he said as he followed the guard out. Bruce glared after him. Angered by his answer. That girl had swords as weapons. He knew that even in an alternate world he'd never let anyone who worked with him use those kinds of weapons on patrols. That girl was dangerous.

* * *

A/N: In case any of you are wondering why specifically they took Dick and Tori to Bell Reve, it was because one person appeared to be a clone of one of their own while the other carried various weapons on them and they did not know her and they definitely didn't want either of them in the personal secret base or on their secret space station or immediately at Mount Justice. They needed somewhere secure, where they wouldn't be too curious about since it just looked like a prison and had interrogation rooms.

Any other questions or concerns please PM moi and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Just answering a question from reviews first: There _are_ a lot of OCs in this story, but they are only Tori and her four half-siblings. The rest of the characters aren't OC. Maybe occasionally I make canon characters act differently than they should but for the most part I try to keep them as true to their character as possible.

Okay! Here's the next chapter!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 10

Tori figured they were in the wrong world. It was pretty obvious…it was super weird, but obvious. Tim had told her of alternate world mishaps that the Justice League had been on, as well as Bruce's apparent time travel incident that made Dick become Batman for a year. It made sense, but it was frightening. No one knew who she was, that was clear. Nightwing existed. Tori wondered if Tim existed or Damian…or any of her siblings. That thought was even more frightening. The fact that she didn't know where her swords were was also frightening, but she didn't ask for them. She didn't want to speak with them because she was worried she'd accidentally reveal something she shouldn't and ruin this world's time stream.

She'd learned about the butterfly effect, something that everyone in the Batfamily had to understand since Bruce went back in time and had to be extremely careful himself while trying to get back home. If you go back in time you have to be careful with what you do. If you misplace one thing or make one wrong decision everything and everyone in the future is affected…sure, this isn't Tori's earth, but it was someone else's and they didn't deserve any destruction Tori caused because of her big mouth. There was another theory, called a self fulfilling prophecy. A paradox where if someone goes back in time to change the future, they would erase the need to go back in time in the first place eradicating any changes you made in the past. Tori knew this wasn't her world in the past, but it was a past…and she didn't want to push a certain domino in a certain place too soon and ruin the course of time.

Footsteps sounded down the hallway to her right, they would be coming around the corner soon. Two sets, one heavy and one light. Dick and Batman. Bruce had the same heave clod he did in their world—it was a wonder he was ever silent while sneaking around crime scenes or sneaking up on Jim. He was so…loud. It could just be her hearing, but it also could be because he's not trying to be sneaky at the moment. Dick's footsteps, on the other hand, were always light, always on the balls of his feet ready to fly into action.

There were always little things, little traits that allow Tori to differentiate people by their breathing or footsteps. Her hearing also helped with her reflexes. She didn't need to see things to know where they were, all she needed was to hear them. Whether it was a knife soaring through the air or a punch from a bad guy, she could hear the sound they make through the air and act before they struck.

Tori still remained seated. It wasn't that she wasn't excited to see Dick. She'd been worried Bruce was giving him a hard time. It was because she was cold and self-conscious about her feet and she just really wanted her cat socks back so she could actually feel her toes…plus she was hungry, crabby from lack of sleep and exhausted from said lack of sleep. The old Tori would have complained verbally…but now, after her few months of training where her complaints were ignored, she'd learned to deal with the discomfort silently.

So Tori waited for the two men to round the corner and the other two people, still standing in front of her cell, to see them. There was a saying that time was a fickle thing…and it was…they took an extremely long amount of time to just walk down the hallway. She had no idea regular people were this slow. It irked her, because it just showed how different she was from everyone else. They say she is still herself, but she is not. Yes, she looks the same, despite the mutated veins and the scars on her back and neck. Yes, she still talked the same and had the same sense of humor as before. Yes she thought of things the way she usually did…but she didn't move the same. She didn't fight the same as her pseudo and real family. Tori briefly wonder if this is how the Flash felt, watching the world in slow motion as he remained fast or how Superman felt, hearing all the world's suffering as he moved about his daily life: able to act and react a different way in a certain situation…while everyone is oblivious to that difference, as if that unnatural dissimilarity didn't exist.

"What is he doing here?" Blue Nightwing demanded, they had finally rounded the corner, "He should be in a cell or under interrogation—!"

"—He's not a clone," Batman said calmly,

"Really?" not Robin asked, she could almost imagine him narrowing his eyes at Dick,

"Yes…he had…elaborate proof," Tori snorted,

"What kind of 'elaborate proof' did you show him?" Tori asked from her seated position, with her back still to them,

"junah saghir," Dick replied in Arabic(Little Wing). Tori nodded her head, that was elaborate proof,

"Yes, do tell Batman, what proof did he show you?" Blue bird said, she could picture him crossing his arms. It was clear in his attitude that he and Bruce did not see eye to eye in a lot of things…that it had been recently, at least a few years since he'd stepped out of Bruce's shadow and became Nightwing. And him leaving was still a blow to Bruce, almost as harsh as Jason's death had been. Bruce didn't respond, Tori could feel their glares intensify,

"Okay. Then who is he? Nightwing's long lost twin brother who happened to pick up the same suit schematic?" Robin asked,

"No. He's from another world, as is the girl," Tori internally rolled her eyes waiting for the rebuttal from the bat boys,

"Another world?"  
"Seriously Batman?" they exploded at the same time,

"He has strong proof of that as well,"

"Again, what proof?"

"He's left handed, he's twenty-seven and he's married," Blue bird didn't say anything, but Dick snickered at him,

"You seem so surprised. I wasn't going to play the playboy angle like dark and broody over here forever,"

"You're wife wouldn't have let you," Tori stated, smirking to herself as Dick laughed in agreement,

"Okay, that proves he's not my long lost twin, but not that he's from another world,"

"Joker's dead where they're from," Batman said flatly. The boys stood in stunned silence,

"…okay. I guess he's speaking the truth. I don't think I would lie about something like that," Blue bird said stiffly and reluctantly, "But what about her?"

"You guys arrived together, but we've never seen anyone who looks like her. Inside or outside the hero community," Not Robin said,

"She works with us," Dick said, "you can trust her,"

"But if you're from another Earth, shouldn't there be a her here?"

"Not necessarily," Dick said, "As I explained to Bats, there are parallel worlds and alternate worlds. Similar yet slightly different worlds and worlds that are completely different whether it's different because of who's a part of a certain group or not or whether certain events happened in one world that didn't happen in another or if the timeline is just completely different in size, shape, color, species. We are an alternate Earth to your Earth…therefore Talon, might not exist here,"

"I see,"

"Then what's with the swords?" Blue Bird asked skeptically,

"There from a past mentor…sentimental,"

"Does she use them?" Bruce asked,

"Not lethally…but we're trying to get her off using them,"

"Clearly she doesn't seem keen on doing that," Not Robin muttered, "She nearly took my eye out,"

"I did not," Tori said, "I'm very good at throwing knives, I don't hit where I don't aim…but I am sorry for attacking you. I thought you were an impostor,"

"Our Robin wouldn't let any impostors run wild," Dick said fondly,

"No he wouldn't," Tori said, chuckling as well, "he'd complain until Bats found said impostor and talked him out of doing it,"

"Okay, now that this has all been explained and taken care of…can we please let Talon out of the cell?"

"And give me my socks, shoes and cloak back?" Tori stated, "I'm freezing,"

"It's only like sixty five in here," Robin said, as he punched in the code and Blue Nightwing went to get her things,

"It's cold to me," Tori snapped,

"Okay, geez," Tori stood and snatched her stuff the moment they brought it to her. She quickly dressed and reveled in the feeling of warmth racing back through her body,

"Take them to the Cave. I'm going to finish patrol," Batman said, "Introduce them to everyone else,"

"Wait…they're staying in that cave?" Robin asked. Tori frowned…what other cave was he talking about. Tori went over to Dick, who looked equally confused,

"Do they mean the bunker?" Tori asked in Icelandic,

"I don't know," he replied in the same tongue,

"As of now yes, they will not go on missions or patrol, but it's better they stay there than with us. We don't want the public to wonder who they are or why one of them looks so much like you," Batman replied,

"Fine. You're the boss," Blue Bird sighed, "C'mon. The Zeta tube's this way," he lead them to a weird looking circular piece of equipment in a locked and protected part of the prison. It had even more security than most of the other areas of the prison,

"What's a Zeta Tube?" Tori asked, as they waited for the other Nightwing to type in something on the keyboard and holo-screen next to the tube,

"It's like the type of beaming tech that Cyborg uses to get League members to the WatchTower," Dick replied,

"So you're not a member of the Justice League either?" Robin asked, "Our Nightwing's not too,"

"I'm an honorary member…I used to be a member but I…I stepped down," Dick said, subtly alluding to his time as Batman when he worked with the League and in Gotham as Batman without really saying it. Robin seemed to accept this. Tori, though, wasn't done with the conversation,

"Which one are you?" Tori asked him. The numberless Robin frowned at her before saying,

"I'm the third Robin," Tori blanched, then squinted her eyes at him…then looked at Nightwing in shock,

"Really? It's him…number three?" she asked incredulously. Dick rolled his eyes at her and grinned,

"How could you not recognize him? Little Wing would never act like that and you just said that our Robin acts nothing like him…who else would it be?" He purposefully didn't include Stephanie because she may not exist here…plus she was a girl,

"Ha! I'm taller than him!" Tori cried gleefully while Tim…her half-brother from another mother and alternate world…scrunched his nose in confusion,

"Why is that significant?" he asked,

"Because you're a fucking giant now! We used to be the same height but then one day out of the blue you sprouted like a fucking bean plant!" Tori said, throwing her hands up in the air to emphasize the miraculous growth of her brother, "I mean, you're even taller than him! Him!—though to be honest that's not saying much because he's short as it is," Tori said, gesturing to Dick,

 _"Hey!"_ he said indignantly and shooting her a glare while Robin just watched on amused with an underlying thoughtful gaze,

"This is payback for bringing up my rookie status to the guy we were chasing," Tori said, crossing her arms and giving him a pointed look,

"Is that how you got here?" Nightwing asked form the console,

"Yeah. This kid had teleporting abilities which somehow translated into dimension hopping abilities," Tori said, she felt like it wouldn't mess things up if she told them how they got there. It's not like they know who did it. Plus it would build trust, which they needed if they were going to get any shelter in this world,

"A superhuman in Gotham?" Robin asked,

"Yeah…as of recently, there have been quite a few," Tori said elusively,

"We can discuss this later. Right now, let's get you two settled," Nightwing said, "I'm going to go through first, then you two go and Robin will follow behind. Just a fair warning, it's going to be a little rough the first time,"

"I've been through worse," Tori said shrugging…it was true and Dick winced a little next to her at the causal mention of the fact. Nonetheless Tori did feel a little nervous when Nightwing stepped through and just disappeared in a flash of light through the tube, but she swallowed the feeling and followed Dick through.

* * *

A/N: The bunker mentioned was from Pre-New 52 when Dick was Batman, just in case you were wondering what was meant. Hope I answered the question asked in the reviews, if you have any other questions PM moi or write them in the reviews so:

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Okay, here's YJ Robin's perspective! I probably won't use YJ characters perspectives as often as my AU characters perspectives, but if I do it will most likely be YJ Robin's that I use because only using one character's perspective from another universe is easier than a bunch of characters. Plus Tim is easy to write for some reason.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 11

When Robin stepped through the zeta tube after Talon, he nearly plowed into her on the other side. Apparently the cave was impressive otherwise she wouldn't have stopped. The other Nightwing-Dick- stopped as well, stunned by where they were. Nightwing, his team leader, had left the room—probably off to tell M'gahn they had visitors and to get rooms ready for them or to warn her not to use names. Tim didn't think that was necessary, it was clear they probably knew all their names already.

Talon was the mystery though. He didn't know her, yet she knew of him…well a him in her world…who was taller. This whole issue was concerning. Why specifically their world? Why now? And how did the other Dick convince their Batman, a man so paranoid and dark and angry because of his lost sidekick, that he was not a clone. They looked nearly identical, except for their colors…and the way they talked and walked. The other Nightwing seemed lighter…happier, like Nightwing before Kaldur, Aqualad's betrayal, and Tula and Jason's deaths.

Talon finally got over staring at the cave in wonder and turned to stare at Tim,

"Would you mind if I take my mask off?" she asked, "the glue to keep it on is messed up and it's annoying as hell," Robin blinked at her before shrugging,

"I don't make the rules here," he said, "You'd have to ask Nightwing,"

"And he's in charge here?" Tori asked, "Where _is_ here?"

"Don't answer that," Nightwing said, walking in followed by Garfield and M'gahn. Talon's eyes widened before she looked over at Dick and whispered something to him. To Tim's surprise it was Nightwing that responded in the same tongue, a sly smirk on his face. Tori mirrored his expression,

"Well, that answers that. You can speak Romanian," Talon replied, "Now about my other question, why are we staying here? Why not the—,"

"—Because this is where Batman told you to stay," Nightwing interrupted, "You're in our world and as of now until we know what to do with you two, you'll stay here,"

"We're heroes, you can't expect us to just sit here and do nothing," Dick argued,

"I don't know you, my team doesn't know you. We've worked together for years and we've only just met you. We don't even know your names,"

"You know my name," Dick said. Tim had to agree, it was true, though he didn't voice it out loud,

"He's only saying that because he doesn't know me," Talon said,

"Then why don't you tell him?" Dick said,

"If it reveals my ID I can't let her—," Nightwing started,

"I'm Victoria Crowne," Talon said, pulling off her mask, "I have nothing to do with your ID. Call me Tori," she said, shoving the mask in an almost invisible pouch on a belt around her waist. Tim stared at her. She seemed very familiar, he couldn't quite place it. She reminded him of someone…then it nailed him,

"You two look very similar," Tim blurted. Tori and Dick stared at him, "Without the masks," he added unnecessarily. Tori smiled at him, a brilliant blinding smile that only looked a tad mischievous,

"Well, we are cousins," Tori said. Eyes widened all around,

"What?" Nightwing exclaimed, "That's impossible!"

"No, it's very possible," Tori said, crossing her arms with a smirk,

"No, it's not. My cousin is—was a boy. John," M'gahn stared at Nightwing like she was surprised he was saying anything at all. Dick just looked stunned and confused,

"You can't deny they look alike," M'gahn said,

"Wait, you have another cousin?" Dick asked, looking very confused,

"No! I only had one cousin!"

"I only have Tori as my cousin,"

"She has a different last name!"

"My mother is related to your father," Tori said, rolling her eyes...though they seemed a thousand miles away as if she was thinking about something else entirely,

"So your parents didn't have any other relatives other than Tori's mom?" Tim asked, "They were siblings?"

"Well…cousins actually," Tori said, "We're technically second cousins,"

"This is so weird," Tim said, while Nightwing looked like he was going to ask a question but decided not to at the last second,

"Wait," Garfield said, "You have a twin brother no one knew about and a cousin?" Tim resisted the urge to smack a hand to his face,

"No Gar," he said, "They say they're from another world,"

"Where?"

"I don't know…an alternate world,"

" _Really_?" both Gar and M'gahn said, with varying levels of enthusiasm,

"Apparently they managed to convince Batman. They're staying here until further notice," Nightwing said, "M'gahn could you show them to—," he didn't finish his sentence because at that moment Wolf leapt into the room, growling menacingly at the newcomers. Tori gasped and leapt back gracefully towards the living room and kitchen, away from the animal. She looked scared, she was pale-well pal _er_ -and wide-eyed, her cerulean blue eyes eyed the animal almost with a predatory gaze,

"I don't like wolves," she whispered,

" _Wolf_ ," Nightwing said warningly. All others watched on silently, wolf was strong but wouldn't hurt anyone if spoken to the way he had. But the beast still growled at the girl. It was almost too late when Tim noticed the dagger in Tori's hand, almost too hidden by the cloak to see,

"No don't d—!" Tim started to say but it was too late. Tori raised the dagger just as Superboy leapt in front of his beloved animal. And he looked angry, which wasn't saying much. Tori froze in her movement, shock displayed on both her and Dick's faces,

"Intruders!" Superboy snarled,

"Superboy No!" Dick yelled, much too late, as Superboy swiped out with his arm and struck Tori in the stomach, sending her flying into the stone wall. Her head hit the stone with a loud resonating crack. M'gahn gasped and Gar just looked dumbfounded while Dick was already over at his cousin's side. Tim and Nightwing started forward as well but the dark and angry glare from Nightwing's counterpart stopped them. He was mad…and Tim couldn't blame him, his cousin my very well be dead. Superboy apparently realized something weird was going on and he was wrong to attack so recklessly and Wolf had finally stopped growling,

"I—I thought—,"

"Not. A. _Word_ ," Dick snarled, "Where's her room?" he asked,

"Third door on the left," M'gahn said, "But—," he didn't listen, he just scooped her up and jogged over to where the rooms were. Tim didn't understand why he would go there and not the medbay—denial? He shook his head…maybe they only thought they heard the crack. While Nightwing was snapping something at Superboy, Tim backed away from the group and silently followed the two alternate worlders.

* * *

Dick paced nervously by the bed where he'd put Tori. Sure he knew intellectually she'd be all right, it was just the fact that he'd have to somehow explain why she wasn't unconscious or basically dead from Superboy's attack. Their Superboy had been dead for a while, no one knew if he would somehow eventually be resurrected like so many of their allies, but this Superboy was very alive and got very angry when people messed with his pet wolf. He didn't know why there was a wolf in the freaking superhero funhouse cave, but there was. Also a floating green girl and green boy…weird night for sure.

A hesitant knock sounded on the automatic sliding door. After realizing it wasn't verbally activated on the way into the room Dick walked over and manually opened the door part way to find Tim, younger and in a Robin suit staring up at him, a thoughtful and perplexed expression on his face,

"Is Tori all right?" he asked,

"Do you have ice?" Dick asked, "The impact wasn't as bad as it sounded…she'll be fine,"

"How do you know? Is she up and talking? Does she need medical attention?" he almost smiled fondly and ruffled Tim's hair, but he didn't. He had to remind himself that this Tim, despite being a child was not his little brother and such a gesture would freak him out. He couldn't help wanting to do that because he acted so much like his counterpart when he was this Tim's age,

"I know," was all he said, "I need ice, a change of clothes I'd like to get out of this stinky and sweaty suit. Oh, and an apology,"

"An apology?" Robin asked, quirking an eyebrow,

"From the mutt who slammed her into the wall," Nightwing said crossing his arms, "You should train that super before he does any real damage," so he was kind of pissed at Superboy for going all evil green monster on his cousin, it wasn't unjustified. He shouldn't have done that despite them possibly being intruders, he could have killed someone,

"He's not one for apologies," Tim said, "But we'll try. Nightwing's probably speaking to him now,"

"Great. Please, get the ice pack and clothes,"

"Sure. Right away," Tim said before starting to leave, last minute he turned back around, "Are you sure she's okay? She's just—really still and pale—,"

"She'll be fine. Bruised and sore, but it could be worse," he said, giving a small smile. Tim didn't smile back, just turned on his heel and started for what Dick could only assume as the medbay.

Dick turned back around and hurried to the bed and moved to check Tori's pulse. Yup, it was there. Low and faint but that often happened when she nearly died. She's a Talon, they kind of fall apart easily but heal just as fast…impact injuries take a little while though, especially for newer Talons according to Danbury. He kept in limited touch with Tori who was still new to the whole Talon business. She had no handbook to help her with the transition from fully human to Talon, he was her guide…though his communication had dwindled in the past year.

Suddenly Tori's eyes snapped opened and they glowed a brilliant gold color as she thrust herself up into a sitting position. Dick tried not to wince as her spine cracked back into place. He hoped no on had seen the odd shape of her back or the angle of her head when she hit the ground…he didn't know if Tori wanted them to know she was a Talon assassin yet and the recent incident was almost a clear give away.

Tori's eyes instantly focused on him as they inked back to a sapphire blue before they narrowed in anger,

"That little ass—," she stated, starting to get up only to be pushed down by Dick,

"No," he said firmly,

"He and his mutt tried to kill me!" Tori snapped, trying to rise again, only to be pushed back by Dick again,

" _No_ ," he said again firmer. Tori, for some reason, since she was made into a Talon had become a lot more impulsive than she used to be. Maybe it was pent up anger in the fact that despite her agreeing to become a Talon, it really hadn't been her choice. Or maybe it was the Electrum in her veins—a drug—making her act this way, Dick didn't know. He just knew that she often needed second reminders of what not to do, Tori was basically a child in the hero business right now. She needed to know that no, meant _no_ , "He didn't know who you were. Only that you were trying to hurt his pet," Dick continued,

"I was defending myself!" Tori snapped, slumping back and crossing her arms,

"The dog was growling at you. I think it would feel threatened and an animal owner would feel angry and protective of their pet if someone tried to stab it with a dagger!"

"It's a wolf not a dog Dick! A _wolf!"_ Tori exclaimed,

"You like Titus, he's basically that dog's size…maybe smaller, that thing was huge. I don't see why you don't like it. I always took you for more of a dog lover that a cat lover,"

"It's not that I don't like dogs…I just don't like wolves," Tori said, uncrossing her arms and fiddling with her hands as if she didn't quite know what to do with them,

"Why?"

"A reporter once said I had wolf eyes," Tori said,

"So?" Wolves eyes were pretty most of the time, in Dick's opinion…though truth be told he never actually stared one in the eyes before and frankly, he didn't want to…,

"It was after the November incident 'wolf eyes, ready for the kill and only the kill,'" Tori recited bitterly,

"You didn't kill anyone. It was a reporter, they're full of shit,"

"Doesn't matter…it was true. I had nightmares for days…ones I haven't had since I was with the Court," _Oh,_ Dick thought, _wolves are bad memory triggers._ He filed that away in the back of his mind for the future,

"That wolf probably won't hurt you," Dick said, just as the door was knocked on again, "It's open!" he called. Tim walked in again with an ice pack and two sets of clothes,

"Here," he said,

"Thanks Timbo," Dick said, trying not to smirk as the Robin flinched at the sound of the nickname,

"Hey, not many people know my real name. I'd like to keep it that way,"

"Really? Aren't they your teammates? Shouldn't they know who you are?" Tori asked,

"You're wide awake for someone who just got slammed into a wall," Tim retorted. Tori glared at him while reaching up to rub her head—which they both knew did not actually hurt, she only did it for show,

"Thanks for the stuff. We're good for now," Dick said handing the ice pack to Tori who took it in-between her pointer finger and thumb with a: _what the fuck am I supposed to do with this?_ look in her face. Dick glared at her while Tim started to leave after dropping the clothes off on the nightstand. Glaring back she placed it on her head. Once the door was shut she tossed the thing to the end of the bed,

"Why did you ask for ice?"

"Because you need to actually act like you've been slammed into a wall by a Kryptonian," Dick replied, snagging the pack from the edge,

"You know what cold does to me," Tori replied,

"Yeah, but do you really want to explain all that while we have zero percent of their trust?" he asked,

"Does it really matter if they trust us or not? They only want us here so they can keep an eye on us," Tori said, nodding to the corner of the room. Dick turned and found a security camera in the room. _Of course_ they put them in surveillance rooms. Tori's eyes were really good, the cameras were embedded in the cave wall, too hard to see for any old human, Dick could barely see the little circular dot admit the brown rock,

"We'll figure out how to loop them," Dick said,

"It shouldn't be hard," Tori replied,

"And to answer your question, yes, we need their trust," he stated. Tori scoffed,

"How else are we going to get home?" Dick demanded, "Without them we have no shelter, no money because I definitely can't bring my wallet in my suit and neither did you, and no access to technology short of stealing it…and while you may be inclined to do that, I am not—,"

"—hey!" Tori snapped, "I may be an assassin and trained to do shit like that but I would never act upon my knowledge,"

"I am just making a point. We need them. They can get us home, unless that bionic kid comes back willing to take us back with him, which is very unlikely because we already scared him away,"

"You mean _I_ scared him away," Tori muttered, staring at the ice pack mournfully,

"I didn't say that,"

"You meant it," Dick took a deep breath before handing the pack to her, "Just put it on every now and then. Act like you're in pain and stay here for a bit. I'm going to go make friends," with that said he got up,

"Good luck," Tori muttered glumly, flexing her probably already hardening fingers and curling up in a ball on the side of the bed. He slid out into the hallway and headed back to the main room, trying not to feel bad for snapping at her. She's had a tough two years and not everyone understood that, even members of the family at times. Jason had better luck helping her through her death day than anyone else did. She got crabbier and crabbier the closer it got to the day. It wasn't intentional but they were in a really bad place for her to be temperamental and he knew Tori knew that. Dick just really wanted everyone here to let her have her space…and hopefully he can get the trust they need to send them home faster than it appeared it was going to take.

* * *

A/N: Don't know if I veered too far away from Tori's usual character there, but she's been having a rough week and her actions are understandable. Hope you liked this chapter! Some bits of humor, action and references...did anyone get my Hulk reference? XD

Okay, so next chapter on Monday as usual and a short story tomorrow!

REMEMBER TO PM MOI IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS! AND review review review!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Just wanted to put this in even though this chapter does not have to do with the YJ world at the moment, but for the sake of the plot and to make it easier for me the timing of the missions they have during the second season of the show will be different in this story. So the dates that appear in the beginning of the show won't match the dates I want the missions to fall on for the story. Just wanted to give you a heads up for when those missions start happening.

Also, those missions will not be the main points of the chapters, they'll be in the background. For some of them at least-that's all I'll say for now.

Here's the next chapter!

P.S - I feel like there was a better way to say all that, oh well!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 12

Ali tapped her pencil against the kitchen table as she took a mouthful of eggs from her plate. It was twenty minutes before they had to leave to go to the British Museum and she was getting her math homework done early. Sure it was break, but she had a bad habit of forgetting her math homework. Now sure, that's seen as a bad thing for most people, but for Ali, math was easy. She was in pre-calculus even though she was only a sophomore. It put her in a class with mostly upperclassmen, but that was fine with her. Trevor, a junior and the only other younger student in the class with her, calls her a human calculator. It was very flattering and nice to know that someone understood that while she gained her mother's looks, she was just as smart as Liam and Tori.

Ali usually forgot her math homework until the last minute because it was so easy for her, but this time she would get it done and she wouldn't blame it on the fact that her Karate class went later than usual the night before they went back to school or something. She thinks better after a Karate class though, but that hardly mattered.

Footsteps padded through the archway to the kitchen behind her,

"Eggs are on the stove, you have to clean the pan," she said without looking behind her,

"Aw come on! I always have to clean the pan!" Cameron complained. At that Ali turned to face her twelve year-old brother, who was already starting to surpass her height…soon she won't be able to look down at him, that fact kind of bothered her. He was coming too since his teacher assigned the same extra credit work, they wanted to go early in the morning that way they could relax for the rest of the day,

"Then next time you can wake up early and make breakfast," she said before turning back to her homework and food. Cameron grumbled before assuredly putting some eggs on a plate for himself and starting to wash the pan,

"I don't get why Arthur doesn't make breakfast. Jess used to," Ali rolled her eyes but didn't comment, "It's not that hard,"

"How would you know whether it's difficult or not if you never make it?" she replied,

"Well, for one: you do it," he said. She could almost picture the smirking smile on his face as he said it. Stifling her anger she instead wrote down the answer for question thirteen, channeling that anger into her work,

"Arthur's at work, that's why. He gets up super early," He was needed that morning for some reason or another, he wouldn't tell Ali why,

"And he makes breakfast for himself but doesn't leave anything for us?"

"I don't even know if he eats breakfast on regular work days,"

"We never call him Uncle Arthur either, only ever just Arthur," Ali bit the end of her pencil by the eraser in thought. Cameron was right. They do never call him Uncle Arthur, only Arthur,

"Maybe it's because we never knew he was our uncle until…we left Gotham," the kitchen was silent for a moment, only the sound of the faucet could be heard,

"Why didn't we know about him when we were younger?" Ali thought for a moment,

"They had a falling out," was all she said. This peaked Cameron's interest. He slid into the chair to her right, green eyes wide,

"What kind of falling out,"

"It's not my place to tell,"

"You mentioned it! You must tell,"

"No,"

"Yes,"

 _"No,"_

" _Yes_ …you owe me,"

"How do I owe you?"

"I made that C in English disappear," Ali frowned, she'd forgotten about that. It was when Cameron had a very involved interest in computers and made hacking things his hobby…until Arthur found out and gave him the biggest punishment he's ever given in the time they've lived with him. Nothing too drastic but enough to get Cameron off hacking for…a while—maybe forever—probably not though…Cameron was a trickster at heart. Ali had been skipping English…not her wisest move, but she hated the class and her grade suffered for it. She'd asked Cameron to intervene,

"Fine. It was over mom," Ali said,

"Of course it was," Cameron said, rolling his eyes, "You'd think she was Helen of Troy with all the people she's been with. I mean there was Peter, Jack Drake, our dad and now apparently Arthur…sort of," Ali rolled her eyes as him,

"It wasn't her fault. Before she was the queen of fashion in Gotham and richer than half its populace, she was…different. She loved Peter but he was murdered in a mugging, and she grew up with Jack…and she loved Max too. She wasn't heartless," Cameron looked at her owlishly, blinking his eyes at her,

"Really?" Ali felt a flash of pity. He doesn't really remember them as well as the older siblings of their family do. Probably more than Tori does due to her amnesia, but less than them. He'd been young when Maud and Max died. Their memory probably faded almost to nothing by now,

"She was…she was like a queen, back in the day. But a good queen. One who gave rather than took, one who listened rather than ignored. She had a way with words and while she didn't always use them, they were magical once spoken," Ali smiled at how poetic that sounded, her mother would have approved,

"How would you know this?" Cameron asked skeptically,

"Dad told me," Ali said smiling. It was one of her fondest memories of her and him. They would sit in front of the fireplace with the chessboard on the coffee table of the living room. They'd play for a while, way past Ali's bedtime. Maud wouldn't be home till after their third game to send her off to bed, Liam and Tori were off somewhere in the penthouse giving Jess an ulcer, Cameron was probably already asleep and Grant…Grant was probably in his room messing around with a chemistry set or at college or something like that. But they'd talk for hours and it was almost like it was only them in the house. No other siblings to ruin their fun. Most of their conversations settled upon school and what she'd learned that day, but sometimes Ali would get him to talk about Maud.

Ali didn't know why she felt the need to ask him about her own mother, but she is the fourth child of five children total and attention was hard to come by. Plus Maud always worked when she was little, she was always busy though through Max, Ali knew she wished that she didn't have to work so much. Even so, Ali hadn't liked that fact. So when it was just her and her father, she'd ask for secrets about her mother and Max usually gave her them in confidence that she'd never tell another soul. He was a very open person, despite a lot of hardship in his life and through him Ali learned a lot about her mother. Things that weren't seen in the present Maud but only in the past,

"What was the story?" Cameron asked, bringing Ali back to the breakfast table,

"Well. Dad and Arthur were brothers, as we know. They were both raised in London and one day dad decided to try and find a job in America instead of London. His family was rich and he didn't have to find a job if he didn't want to, but he did anyway. He'd been there for three weeks when he literally ran into mom. Like, _ran_ her over in his hurry to get work and spilled coffee all over her. To make up for it they got coffee, went on some dates and all that jazz. Time went on and he brought her to England to visit his family. Grant, Liam and Tori didn't go obviously, and we didn't exist. Mom met the family and met Arthur. He immediately really liked her—like, _liked her liked her_ —, she didn't even bat an eye at his advances, but dad noticed. They got into a fight that turned rather physical until it ended with Arthur in the hospital when dad nearly impaled him on one of the wall decorations with swords,"

"Wait, if they were rich, why did we have to sell our penthouse? Why didn't we just move to London when our grandmother died or something…Max was the oldest, he should have inherited it all!" Cameron stated,

"Shush I'm getting to that part," Ali said, glancing at the clock, they had ten minutes before they needed to catch The Tube, "Because of the whole incident, Max's parents didn't like mom. They forbid dad from seeing or marrying her. Told him they'd disown and disinherit him if he did. Apparently Arthur was the favored child. Maud didn't want Max to lose his family, she lost her's when she was young as you know, but Max wouldn't have it. They eloped, right in Gotham and he was written out of his parents' wills and lives. Despite their favoritism towards Arthur, he didn't even get the house, they gave it to a distant relative through marriage because he was the one who caused the whole incident in the first place," Cameron chewed on some eggs thoughtful before twisting his lips as if contemplating something,

"What?" Ali asked,

"I'm just wondering. If Arthur and dad had a huge falling out because of mom…why did he take us in?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…he hates dad because of what he cost him. His fortune, his inheritance and success, and he hates Maud because she broke his heart. We're their children. Yet he treats Liam worse than us because he's our half-brother. It makes no sense," Ali frowned. Why _did_ he take them in then?

"Guilt? Maybe he wanted to mend their rift but didn't know how until it was too late and thought that taking us in would do the mending?" Cameron shrugged. Silence reigned, five more minutes and then they really needed to leave,

"Ali?"

"What?"

"Why doesn't Tori video chat with us?"

"She does," Ali said, defending her only sister,

"Not as often as Liam does, and when she does…she's different," Ali swallowed difficultly. Cameron was the only one, aside from Grant who they cannot get a hold of, who didn't know that Tori was a Talon…and that Talons were in fact real and dangerous and inhuman. She knew it was for his protection…but it was hard to lie to him,

"It's video chat, nothing every looks spectacular," Cameron gave her a look,

"You're making excuses, there's something you're not telling me," Ali looked at her watch and thanked her lucky stars,

"We need to go, grab your bag. We can't be late!" she said, dashing to grab her own bag and waited for Cameron to get his. She gestured for him to go out the door and was met only with a solid stare that threw waves of suspicion at her. Ali sighed before closing the door and hurrying after him. She hated lying to him…but Tori didn't want him to think of her as a monster or be scared of her because of what she'd become. And while Ali knew that Cameron would think no such thing, she abides her promise…even if she kind of hated herself for it.

* * *

It was lucky that Ali was at lunch with Cameron in the museum's cafe when Liam called her, she'd forgotten to turn her phone to silent. The cafeteria nearly silenced itself at her phone's outbreak of _I Will Survive_. At least she hadn't been at a funeral or in one of the viewing rooms of the museum…that would have been worse. She quickly moved out into the empty hallway of the cafe level and leaned against the alcove arch for a water fountain placed in the wall. Why Liam was up at around six in the morning, she had no idea, but it had to be important if he were calling at all,

"Yeah?" she asked,

"I tried to find Grant," Liam said,

"What why? I thought we both agreed he was an asshat and should not be contacted by or for any means,"

"That was before I realized I needed more money than Arthur was supplying. I tried to get my inheritance early but I needed a direct relative over twenty-one,"

"So Dick couldn't help you?" Ali clarified. She liked her second cousin. He's funny and kind and got her briefly into the idea of becoming a circus performer until she nearly broke her wrist trying a trick when he wasn't spotting her. She only ended up spraining the limb but the fear was there. Ali would leave the acrobatics to Dick and Tori. She knew it was partially her fault she hurt herself, but she also realized she was no where near flexible enough for the stuff Tori and Dick could do even if she was a fast learner,

"Yeah," Liam replied,

"Did you find him?"

"Were you not listening? I said I _tried_ to find him,"

"Okay? And you called me about this because…?"

"Because I did get an address, but didn't find Grant. I found _Riley,"_

"Again, why should I care?"

"Well…for one, she's pregnant. Another she told me some really sketchy things about Grant and his new job that he got,"

"What! _For real?_ I'm going to be an aunt! This is awesome I'm _so_ excited—!"

"—Ali, focus. This is serious," Liam said cutting her off. Ali calmed and listened as Liam told her what Riley had said and her strange behavior at the end of his visit,

"Are you going to look into this job of Grant's?" Ali and Grant were never really close. There was a huge age gap between her and him, almost twelve years to be exact. He'd been eleven going on twelve when Ali was born, Liam: five and Tori four. Maud had Grant kind of young. He'd been closer with Tori and Liam despite their age differences…probably because he'd lived most of his life with them and only them. She'd only been six when Grant left for college. It only made it sting more that he was even closer with Cameron and he was younger than even her. It must be a 'being the young _est'_ thing and being a brother or something like that. Ali had always been more of a girly girl of the family. The only semi-girly thing Tori had done was ballet and gymnastics. They both started out together in the same classes, but Ali lost interest and moved to tennis while Tori went on to excel beyond expectations in gymnastics and ballet. Now Ali was proud to say she did Karate and fencing, two sports that were mostly male dominated and she was good at both of them,

"Yeah, I called Tim a few hours ago to try and do some hacking," Ali scrunched her eyebrows, which probably made her look terrible but she didn't care,

"How long ago was that?"

"Two, three hours ago, why?"

"You've been up since _three_ in the _morning?"_

"I've never gone to sleep," Liam said,

"That's really bad,"

"It's break Ali…sleep is for the day hours now,"

"You need to sleep Liam. How often have you been doing this?"

"That is none of your business little sister,"

"It is _so_ my business. And if Tori were in on this phone conversation she'd be saying the same thing,"

"Oh right! I should call Tori! Thanks for the reminder, bye! Tell Cameron I say hi!"

"No wait! I didn't say that to—," Ali cut herself short as the line went dead. She pulled the device from her ear and looked at it with an annoyed expression before groaning in exasperation at her older brother. She then let out a sigh before heading back over to where Cameron was sitting, her mind wandering to her MIA brother and trying not to worry about the trouble he may be in.

* * *

A/N: It's like Maud is haunting them, she keeps popping up XD

I don't know if fencing is male dominated, I could be wrong about that but I do know that more boys do Martial Arts than girls. I'm not saying no girls do the sports, just more boys do it. I do martial arts and I'm a girl!

Anyway, Short story tomorrow and next chapter on Monday! REMEMBER REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: In honor of me finding the thing I lost a few days ago (it just appeared on the floor of the living room...so weird...like magic!) I decided to post a chapter...also because I just wanted to!

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this, but I changed some of the ages for the characters (mostly the older-ish ones) so I'll just list out everyone's ages that way you know them:

Dick - 27

Babs - 28

Tim - 20

Steph - 20

Tori - 19 (20 in August)

Jason - 21 (22 in August) [lol did anyone notice from the earlier stories that I accidentally made Jason and Tori's birthdays the same day?!]

Ali - 15

Cameron - 11

Damian - 12

Grant - 25/26

Okay there you go! Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 13

"Tim!" a voice called from somewhere across the hallway Tim was walking down. He paused momentarily to look around trying to figure out who was calling his name and if it was actually him they were trying to talk to before shrugging and starting to talk again, "TIM!" the voice called again. Tim frowned, he knew that voice…it was the voice that woke him up an hour after he and Stephanie had finally gotten back from the concert they ditched patrol to go to…it was Liam. Tim didn't exactly not like Tori's other half-brother, it was more that lately he kept asking Tim to do things that Liam himself could figure out how to do. Plus he kept calling him at three in the morning, it was annoying. Yet he paused nonetheless and waited for the tall and long-legged blond to reach him,

"Have you cracked the encrypted emails yet?" he asked. Tim frowned at Liam again,

"You sent them to me again a few hours ago, how could I have possibly started trying to crack them yet?" he asked,

"Oh, I just figured since you were up when I called—,"

"—I wasn't up when you called, I had just gotten to sleep," Tim said, getting even more annoyed, "I get that you're trying to find your brother and you're worried for him, but I have stuff I need to do that involves getting at least a few hours of sleep,"

"Wow, sorry. I didn't think of that," he did not sound guilty at all, Tim took a breath and let it slide,

"Clearly. Did you go to the address I found?" Tim asked as they continued walking,

"Yeah," Liam said, frowning, "I told you about it when I called,"

"I was only half listening, I was actually falling back to sleep to be honest…so—?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow in question. Why did he seem so reluctant to talk all of a sudden. He was strangely super chatty at three in the morning,

"I didn't find Grant,"

"I'm sorry man," Tim said, he wasn't really sure what else to say. Most of the time, when one of his brother's didn't answer any of his calls, texts or emails it meant they were either undercover, injured, kidnapped, kidnapped as their hero identity or dead…the last one he only jumps to when he's in full panic mode. He was pretty sure Grant wasn't dead, and he didn't seem like the type of guy who got kidnapped and he wasn't a vigilante…that they knew of…so he wasn't captured in another persona. It probably had something to do with the encrypted emails and files on his email,

"I did find Riley though," Liam said,

"Who's Riley?" Tim asked, he vaguely remembered her name coming up once when talking with Tori a while, but he hadn't asked who she was,

"Grant's girlfriend,"

"That's great! What did she say?" Liam told him what Riley had said about Grant and how she abruptly made him leave after only just finding her, "That's odd," Tim said,

"I know. She didn't even act chalant about it," Liam said, waving his arms angrily,

"You do know that chalant's not a word right?" Tim asked,

"That's besides the point!" Liam exclaimed, "She's hiding something and we need to find out what it is. Grant could be in trouble…or—or—," Liam couldn't seem to be able to finish his sentence. Tim felt for him, he finally realized why Liam had been so haywire trying to find his brother. All of his fully biological family members were dead. Liam had lost his father, his mother and now he had no idea where his brother was or if he was even alive at all. Tim could relate, he felt the same exact way when he had thought Tori was dead. He knew what that pitted feeling in the gut and the panic that it iced its way through the veins felt like. That and the emptiness once he realized that his only family left was dead—Tim shook his head, this wasn't about him. This was about Liam and how he was feeling and how desperate he was to find his brother. Tim placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping Liam as he hurried forward,

"I'll hack those encrypted files and emails. Trust me when I say I'll get it done,"

"I know. I'm just…worried okay,"

"Yeah. I get it. I'm worried sixty percent of the time I'm anywhere," Tim said, earning a half-grin,

"Only sixty percent?" Tim rolled his eyes,

"TIM!" came a very familiar voice from the other end of the empty hall. Stephanie hurriedly walked over to where they were standing and she had a slightly worried look on her face,

"Have you seen Tori today?" she asked. Tim felt that pit in his stomach again as both he and Liam stared at Stephanie for a split second before speaking at the same time,

"I didn't see her no. I thought she was in the drawing studio or something," Tim said as Liam said,

"I was running up until an hour ago," Stephanie's eyes widened before she whipped out her phone and started to call someone,

"Who're you—,"

"Jenna," she said, "She is usually always with Tori when they go to the art studio," Tim took out his own phone and called the manor. Maybe Dick had gotten hurt and she was staying at the manor with him or maybe they were there since Tori got serum-ed because they ran into some Talons and she needed the cure…that usually took her out for a few days as her body tried to heal itself, one time it almost didn't and that had been a scary few days. Tim moved away slightly so Liam and/or Stephanie wouldn't get too worried if the news started off bad,

"Wayne Residence," a bored voice sounded on the other end,

"Damian?" Tim asked, making sure, he didn't want to talk about their nightlife until he was sure it wasn't one of Damian's friends,

"Who else dumb-fuck?" Tim rolled his eyes, of course it was Damian, he wouldn't have any friends to invite over,

"Ignoring that, has Tori and Dick come by the manor?"

"Haven't seen either of them since Grayson stopped by the manor to tell father he was taking Crowne out on patrol," the pit was growing, creeping in…like a fungus,

"Did you see them at all during patrol?"

"I didn't exactly see them, but I did hear that they stopped a car jacking. To be honest there wasn't much to do, it was a slow night even while looking for the lost bionic kids. Now buzz off, you're cutting into my reading time," Tim hung up, too worried to wonder why Damian had said 'buzz off' instead of something ruder-Alfred must've been nearby-and turned to where Stephanie stood near Liam. She shook her head, worry clear in her light brown eyes.

Tim bit his lip before dialing another number, the home phone for Dick and Barbara's penthouse. They had stashed their suits and some equipment in their own base over there, though they still mainly used the batcave. Dick and Tori could have gone their instead of the manor and Tori just crashed for the night since it was so late…or early, whichever it didn't matter.

The phone rang and rang, making Tim's anxiety worsen and his panic increase. He was about to hang up and redial when the phone was answered. Tim took a breath and spoke just as Barbara did,

"Have you seen Tori/Dick?" they both said, a pause,

"You haven't seen her/him?" he and Barbara said, both panicked. Tim started pacing,

"Did Dick come home last night?" he asked, finally not speaking along with her,

"No, did Tori return to campus?"

"Not that we know of,"

"The manor?" Barbara asked,

"I just called, they didn't show up and they didn't really see them during patrol. I don't get it, wasn't Alfred running communication? Shouldn't he have wondered why they weren't speaking,"

"We don't know they weren't speaking Tim. Besides, Batman and Robin went radio silent to stake out a possible drug cartel meet up. I asked earlier this morning when I just assumed he was…late for an appointment," Tim bit back a curse. Then briefly wondered what appointment Dick was late for. Even so, that meant Alfred was working on camera surveillance and not communication, he wouldn't have known what Dick and Tori were doing,

"Should I call—," Tim started,

"I don't know…we don't know if this is serious," Barbara said,

"But what if it is?" Tim whispered,

"Keep a level head. This isn't like last time," she sounded like she was trying to convince herself, "I'll start looking at the CCTV cameras for any of their movements…you call him,"

"Right, keep in touch," Tim said before hanging up and walking back over to Liam and Stephanie, "They aren't at Dick's penthouse," he should call Jason and let him know what they had discovered…but he wasn't ready for that level of intense anger yet, besides they don't really know anything,

"Then you guys don't know where they are?" Liam asked, his voice raising with panic,

"We'll find them,"

"What if—,"

"—Don't jump to what ifs," Stephanie interrupted, "we will find them. We only just discovered they were missing. We have time,"

"Time until what?" Liam demanded, Tim looked at him gravely,

"Time before we either get a ransom note, or a video from a Gotham villain or…or bodies," Liam looked shocked and pained at the same time,

"No. No, no, no. _No_. This _cannot_ be happening _again_. Why does this _keep happening!"_ Liam yelled,

"I don't know," Tim said, sighing and shaking his head, "I just don't know,"

"Don't be like that Tim. We will find them. I don't care how long it takes, we will find them and you will be sorry you freaked out so much," Stephanie said. She then took his hand in her's and gave it a squeeze, "Let's start looking. We will find them. I know we will," Tim gave her a small smile,

"I guess Grant will have to wait," Liam sighed,

"I can multitask," Tim said, "Who knows. Maybe your missing brother will find our missing sister,"

"I keep forgetting that she's your sister too," Liam said, "I guess I'll leave you guys to it," he said after a moment before starting to leave,

"Liam, wait," Tim called, "Two hackers are better than one, right?" he asked before nodding his head in the direction of his dorm room,

"Really?" Liam asked, "I thought this was a family thing,"

"Liam you idiot, you're family too," Stephanie said, "Besides, I can't hack to save my life. Tim needs your help just as much as you need him to find Grant. Now come on! We are losing precious time!" with that said the three of them hurried to Tim's dorm, determined to find all three of their lost family members.

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A/N: Ha, chalant.

Well...they know that they're gone. Question is, will they tell Jason or not?

That's it. Any questions about ages and the timeline or whatever feel free to PM moi and remember guys:

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	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 14

Adam teleported to the top floor of Luthor's building. It was a huge risk to be doing this but he had made a huge mistake and he needed to fix it. The only way to do that was with Grant's help. Riley and Grant had been keeping him hidden for part of the past two years. That ended when Luthor discovered that Grant hadn't killed him. It was then that Grant and Riley were put under watch and Grant was forced to continue working for Luthor because if he refused Riley would take the fall if he failed to comply to orders. Adam felt guilty, they were good people and Grant was just trying to get Luthor to face justice for what he did to Adam, his sister and the kids. But his hands were tied, especially now that Riley was pregnant. It wasn't exactly planned, but they were both happy about it nonetheless.

Adam glanced around the corner of the hallway, his back pressed against the wall tightly to see if there were any workers or guards around only to feel a hand grab the back of his shirt and pull him into a storage closet. He didn't even have a chance to cry out or teleport before the light was turned on and he found himself face to face with Grant. Adam let out a sigh of relief, feeling his racing heart slow,

"Geez….you…scared…the shit out of me," Adam said, trying to calm his breathing and heart further,  
"What are you doing here Adam?" Grant hissed. He did not sound pleased that Adam was there, "Do you realize how dangerous it is that you're here?"

"Of course I do. But I needed to talk to you,"

"Adam. Luthor knows you're alive, he's put your house on surveillance and he has teams out looking for you!" Grant nearly shouted, but he kept his voice down, no one could hear them,

"All that just to kill me?" Adam asked, rolling his eyes, "Lexi's too paranoid for his own good. I don't need to say a thing because your sister is already taking Mac to trial!" Grant brought a hand to his forehead,

"They're not just trying to kill you. And I'm pretty sure Tori doesn't know that Luthor funded Mac's work or that he was even involved, that won't solve either of our problems,"

"Oh…then what is Luthor trying to do?"

"He wants you back," Adam's stomach dropped in fear,

"…what?" he asked, he could almost feel the color leech from his face as panic set in. He could feel his heart rate speed up and his breath shorten to pants, "No…no. He doesn't need me anymore…he said he didn't need me anymore…"

"Adam, calm down," Grant said, putting his hands on Adam's shoulders and bringing his topaz colored eyes level to his, "You can't panic. I know that's hard, but I can't have to teleporting anywhere within this building randomly. Your powers are triggered by your emotions more than cognizant thought and you need to remain _calm,"_ Adam nodded and focused on his breathing. Four seconds in, five seconds hold, seven seconds out…repeat. It was a calming technique that Riley had taught him when he stayed with them, when the memories came back…when the nightmares came. Adam let out another huff and felt himself calm down. The fear was still there, but the panic had left,

"Okay. I'm good," Adam said as Grant took his hands off his shoulders, "W-w-why does Luthor want me back?"

"He found out why the other world wanted the super soldiers," Grant said, "They wanted them for some plan a number of villains were finalizing. It involved children and/or teens with super powers or at least for the kids to be susceptible to gaining them,"

"Meaning?"

"You and the others were just the first step to a bigger science experiment," Grant said bitterly, "I have no idea what else besides that. Whether the chips would stay or be replaced by anything else or if there was a different means to create further development of your abilities. Luthor didn't explain, he doesn't exactly trust me as much as before,"

"Yet he keeps you around because your connection to Tori would be useful," Adam guessed. Grant nodded, his eyes narrowing,

"I wish I'd never gotten myself into this mess," he said, "But there's no way out. Luthor thinks he can use me to keep Tori from sending Mac off to prison—,"

"—He wants to blackmail her!?" Adam gasped, a little too loud because Grant lunged forward and put his hand over Adam's mouth, while turning off the light. They waited in darkness for a second or two before footsteps rounded the corner and disappeared further into the building before Grant turned the light on and backed away,

"Yes. But Tori's…stubborn, I don't think she'll bend,"

"She wouldn't bend for you?" Adam asked, "You're her _brother!"_

"Half-brother," Grant corrected mutely, "and I haven't really been much of a brother to her these past few years,"

"That's not your fault. It's Mac and Luthor's fault,"

"Which is why she won't do it. She'll think I helped them,"

"No, she won't. Not if she knew the truth,"

"And how would she figure that out?"

"Me. _I'll_ tell her the truth. I'll find her and tell her what really happened…in fact…I'll tell her everything!"

"You don't need to do that," Grant said,

"Too bad. I am. They need to be stopped and your method isn't exactly working is it?" Grant sighed before shaking his head,

"Do what you want kid,"

"Yeah, I will" Adam said, crossing his arms,

"Okay, now that that's settled...sort of...what is it you wanted to tell me?" Grant asked,

"Oh right!" Adam exclaimed…almost too loud again, "I…um…I accidentally transported two of Batman's partners to the other Gotham—,"

"—You WHAT!?" Grant exclaimed, causing both of them the flinch and listen for any sounds outside, "You did _what?"_ Grant hissed again, once they were sure no one was coming,

"I teleported them by mistake. They were chasing me and they grabbed me—I panicked and *poof* we teleported, then we were falling and I kicked them off before panic teleporting back to our Earth!"

"Adam!" Grant groaned, "Why do you keep doing this to me?"

"I did this one other time. And to a criminal! He deserved what he got!"

"You can't just teleport away all your problems…or even other people's problems. It's not right," Adam sighed,

"I know…it's just I have no control over teleporting sometimes…especially when I panic,"

"I understand. Just next time, try to calm down before reacting. In fact, act don't react. As in _think,"_

"Okay," Adam said, nodding, "What should I do?"

"Find the other partners of the Batman. Explain what happened and try to get the two you teleported back as soon as possible," Adam gulped before nodding,

"I'll try," he said, moving to open the door and leave,

"Wait…you said they were chasing you?" Grant asked,

"Yeah. They said they were trying to help me get the chip removed or something…something about STAR Labs," Grant nodded,

"Next time…go with them,"

"What?"

"They _are_ trying to help. They want to send the kids home power free and with their memories restored,"

"I thought they can't remove the chip without killing us,"

"They're trying to find a way,"

"Like they'll figure it out," Adam said with a snort,

"Just trust them,"

"Yeah, whatever," Adam said turning to leave again, only to knock over a can of paint. Both boys froze as footsteps sounded form outside, this time moving towards them rather than away. With a gulp and a quick yelp of panic, Adam teleported away…leaving Grant—regrettably—to explain why he was hiding out in the storage closet on his own.

Adam reappeared on the rooftop across from the building Lex owned. It was time to swallow his fear and explain himself to the vigilantes…and hopefully find Nightwing and Talon before something happened to them. But…he could always find Tori and fulfill his first objective. Getting Luthor arrested would make everything easier for him, no one would be searching for him then. With grim determination, Adam decided to find Tori first…but he had no idea where she'd be or what she looked like…but he did know what her brother looked like. Well, her half-brother Timothy. They'd been family acquaintances and saw each other occasionally back when his family had been richer and when the Drakes had been alive. If he found Tim, he'd find Tori. With a smile he closed his eyes, concentrated and teleported.

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A/N: I feel like Tim's family would know everyone, hence Adam's family knew the Drakes for a while...at least in this AU. Short Story tomorrow as usual and please, pretty please REVIEW! I would love to hear what you all think so far!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 15

"I don't know if this is clever or cruel," Tim said from where they, he, Damian and Jason, were crouched and peering down into the old ruins of Crowne Manor. The Court of Owls, something that apparently would forever be a thorn in their side, had relocated their base of operations to an underground fortress within the ruins. It had taken many days to finally realize that's where they were, and now they were doing reconnaissance in hopes of seeing if this was where Dick and Tori were taken… _if_ they were taken by them. Everyone was searching. The only reason they considered the Court was because of their hatred for the cousins. Tori turned their back on them and allowed their already small numbers to dwindle further while Dick failed to become a Talon for them at all, despite it being his birthright,

"They are literally right by our backyard," Jason said, "Why haven't they attacked us? Or better yet, why wait till now to take either of them?" He'd been particularly crabby the past few days, now seven days to be exact since it was around two in the morning, when being told about Tori's disappearance he left Roy and Kori in Croatia to help search for their missing brother and his girlfriend. He may deny it but he was there for Dick as well, not just Tori. Everyone knew it,

"Maybe they wanted to give us a false sense of security?" Tim suggested, while looking through his binoculars again. There was a skylight at the center of where the cellar used to be that led deeper into the ground. The new skylight could be seen plain as day with the walls and other levels crumbled next to it. They must've been digging tunnels into the bedrock for ages if they were able to up and move themselves here within two years,

"I think it's pride," Damian said, he seemed particularly and Jason were looking down through the skylight while he had his back against the skylight and was just fiddling with his batarang. Tim knew he was worried for Nightwing, the first person to truly mentor him. They were the first dynamic duo Damian had ever been a part of, and now he was possibly in danger,

"I guess Tori's not going to want to come within five feet of this place again," Jason said,

"Yeah, no way we'll be able to rebuild it with the Court taking up shop in the grounds," Tim agreed,

"We could always flush them out again," Damian suggested, "We shouldn't even let a creed like theirs' fester and grow stronger,"

"That's up to the Boss,"

"Then I suppose there won't ever be a Crowne Manor again," Robin replied with an eye roll and a shrug,

"I don't see Cobb or either of them," Jason said, probably frowning beneath his hood,

"They could be on lower levels," Tim stated, frowning himself,

"We can't just barge in there. We don't have an entrance short of jumping through the skylight," Damian said, turning to look himself,

"And that would just lead to senseless fighting and the possibility of us getting captured," Tim said in agreement. Contrary to belief, skylights were not always the answer,

"Then what can we do?" Jason asked, "We have no way of knowing if they're down there, but if we try to investigate we risk being captured ourselves," he looked over at Tim, Tim in turned looked over to Damian only to realize the he was looking at him as well,

"Why are you both looking at me?"

"Because you're the guy with the plan usually!" Jason snapped, "I may be older by I don't have the mind of an old fat military general,"

"Gee thanks," Tim said dryly, rolling his eyes, "I don't know what to do…I mean we could try to enter through—,"

"—What are you boys doing here?" a voice demanded from behind them. They all flinched and whipped around, guns, bo staff and batarangs ready; only to stare dumbfounded at…,

" _Danbury_ …oh thank God, I thought you were an unfriendly," Tim said, putting a hand to his racing heart,

" _What_ …I just saw you in there! How the hell did you get out here?" Jason exclaimed, turning to look down into the skylight and then back at the Talon,

"That hardly matters. You are putting yourselves at risk by coming here. What is so urgent that caused you to come here, or rather to find here?"

"Tori and Dick are missing. We thought the Court had something to do with it," Jason said,

"No. We do not. There has not been an attempt on either of their lives in quite a while. We are focusing on rebuilding what you destroyed on Founders' Island,"

"Great, we're back to square one," Jason groaned, "And we wasted about two hours of search time,"

"Let's report back to Batman before heading out again. There must have been something that we missed,"

"I suggest you do so quickly. There may be some below who noticed shadows on the floor that do not belong to any Talons; especially with the full moon directly above," Danbury said, "I hope you find Richard and Victoria," with that said they all parted ways. Danbury to his Talons, while Tim, Jason and Damian moved to search the area where Dick and Tori had been patrolling when they disappeared.

"Okay, the car jacking happened right over there," Tim said, holding up the mini holo-computer of the CCTV cameras Barbara had got from their night of patrol,

"Yeah, and Dick would be chatting with the victims, being all Mr. Nice Vigilante," Jason muttered, with a shake of his head,

"Foolish Grayson," Damian muttered shaking his head in agreement,

"And Tori would be with them too—," Tim started,

"—No, not that night," Jason said,

"Why not?"

"She had a nightmare the night before. Also, it would have been three days until New Years…eight days before January eighth…it wouldn't be good for her to be near other people at that moment,"

"Okay, then where would she be?" Tim wondered out loud. He didn't ask how Jason knew about her nightmare or try to think about what was probably the worst week of her life coming up soon and he tried not to be annoyed that Jason knew those things such as when she had nightmares and he didn't. But it also made sense. Tim wouldn't know how to handle someone who had had a dream about their own death or whatever it was she dreamt…he'd never experienced that and he _was_ thankful that he hasn't. He just wished he could _understand_ it all the same because it was his sister and those dreams tormented her and he wanted to help her through it but he didn't quite know how, "It would be somewhere high I assume,"

"There," Jason said, pointing to the tallest building in the area, back behind them,

"That would be logical," Tim agreed, as all three of them threw a line to the top of the building, "Now, let's try and find a camera that shows the view from where she was standing,"

"That might not work though," Jason said,

"Why—?"

"Why do you think _idiot?"_ Damian interrupted, rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time,

" _Shut_ _up_ —oh right. Tori has better vision than most…damnit," Tim groaned. She could have seen anything that made her go off script and cause Dick to run after her. Tori was new at patrol, she didn't know that there were rules specifically for newbies. Everyone had had their own version of a chaperone when they first started out, Tori had her's for longer because she's been struggling…a lot…and she's still trying to figure out when to pull back, when not to hit so hard, when to keep a potential thug that would talk awake or even how to tell a thug that would talk from a thug that will be silent no matter what threats were issued. Not only that but she still had a long way to go before she completely knew restraint.

The only reason she was really out most of the time was because of Dick, who believed that restraint was learned in the field and not in a controlled environment. Bruce heavily disagreed, he thought Tori couldn't control herself and should be kept away from patrols until she was completely in control of herself while fighting. Tim personally thought they were both right. Without the feeling of reality while fighting, without the knowledge that everything was real and not a simulation, Tori would never truly believe that she was hurting people if she slipped or even if she fought well in control of herself. But at the same time they couldn't risk her killing someone on a really really bad day. There needed to be compromise.

Tim shook out of his thoughts as he finished downloading the CCTV footage from their missing heroes' patrol night. He sped through the video until he caught up to after the car jacking and let it play. Jason leaned in to watch over his shoulder when there was a popping noise behind them and the sound of someone stumbling slightly. Yet again they spun around, weapons at the ready only to freeze in confusion and shock. The boy, who had appeared out of nowhere looked just as confused,

"Wait, this is wrong. I was trying to teleport to where Tim Drake was. Not you guys," he closed his eyes and briefly disappeared before reappearing again,

"What…seriously?" the kid groaned again, before looking warily at them,

"He's bionic," Jason mused, lowering his weapons. Damian was silent, but stared at the kid with narrowed eyes. Tim looked at the newcomer, a frown on his face. Lanky and skinny with numerous holes in his clothes—he clearly lived on the streets—, not specifically tall with dark hair and eyes. Why was he trying to find him? He didn't know this kid did he? Tim didn't say anything for a moment, none of the three vigilantes did. They all stood sizing the new kid up, but that kid did looked familiar…like he'd seen him somewhere before. A while ago…,

"Wait… _Adam?_ " Tim asked, eyes wide.

A/N: Cliff-hanger! Mwahaha! You'll have to wait to find out what happens! Next chapter next Monday and tomorrow will be the conclusion to the Tori Short Story: Dangerous Nights II, which didn't get as many views as I thought it would *sad face* it's okay though!

Keep reading and remember:

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Also, I do not think all war veterans/generals are old and fat, that was just Jason being Jason...sorry if anyone was offended by that.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I am very far ahead in this story so I thought it would be okay to post another chapter this week. I am not near the end of this tale, but I am at chapter 26 and no where near done!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 16

The first thing Tori had realized after stepping through the blinding light of the zeta tube, was that her stomach felt like it had been tied in knots. The second, had been that they were in a Cave. Tori had thought they were in the Batcave until she saw a living room and kitchen back in a little alcove. Green couches around a coffee table and a large TV, an archway led to a hallway of silver doors and a different one led somewhere Tori couldn't see. The main area was carved out and high ceiling-ed with weird metal rafters way up near the top as if the support was needed for the stone. At the center was a raised platform with illuminated white tiles and off to the side water lined an indoor shore. It was a very cool place. Then the giant wolf had come out of nowhere, freaked her out and she was then slammed into a wall at full Kryptonian force, it could be understandable that she did not like the place very much.

That had been three days ago. It was now the day of New Year's Eve and 'The Team' as they were called, had a mission. They didn't want Dick or Tori to come, in fact they had said very little to each other the Team to Dick and Tori. Of course Tori for the most part had stayed in her little room pretending to be semi-injured from Superboy's nasty attack which was why she hadn't really talked to anyone, but she did manage to find a way to loop the security footage so she didn't have to use the ice packs Dick kept bringing her all the time. The team members all had questions and while both Dick and Tori didn't give them straight answers, they still asked them anyway. There was a whole large group of people in this team which would, at least in Tori's opinion, make it hard to work together, but they managed. The alternate world's Nightwing ran the team and this other guy, Mal a non-hero dude, coordinated missions for everyone. They had a completely different dynamic from their world's Teen Titans which was lead by Tim, in fact, the Teen Titans didn't seem to exist in this world.

Batman hadn't come back with any information on how to get them back to their own world. In fact, he hadn't come back to the Cave at all and they hadn't been authorized to leave. They were stranded in a Cave with people that didn't exactly trust them. Some would think that would have both Dick and Tori on high alert, but no. They were in the main training room area playing tic-tac-toe on the cave wall with chalk they somehow managed to find in the ginormous Cave,

"Okay, so that's another win for me. How about twenty-three out of forty-four?" Dick asked, slashing his winning Xs through. Tori lifted her head off the stone ground and looked up at the many tic-tac-toe boards scattered on the wall they were both leaning against…well Dick was leaning against, Tori had her butt to the wall and her legs up on it…,

"How the hell did I lose that many times?" she asked,

"I dunno, distracted?" Dick said shrugging, "What do you say?"

"I say I'm bored out of my mind,"

"I would agree with that," Dick said twirling the piece of chalk in his hand like it was an eskirma stick and sighing somewhat mournfully,

"They're treating us like prisoners!" Tori exclaimed, flopping her head back down on the ground with a light, yet painless clunk,

"Yeah, we're prisoners. They gave us clothes, food, shelter and a bed," he replied sarcastically,

"We can't go on patrol Dick! Or help them or do anything 'without permission'"

"This isn't our world Tori. I don't know why this is so hard for you to get. We don't make the rules here. As far as they know we are lying, you have to understand where they're coming from,"

"We don't even know why they're so suspicious of us and you can't really say that if you don't know why they are acting the way they are,"

"Touché, but there's different rules here, different levels of trust and we haven't reached those levels yet. Usually you'd be…more flexible in a situation like this," Tori glared at him before sighing and flopping back on the ground again,

"I know. You're right. I guess me and this world and the people in this world just got off to a bad start…I feel useless,"

"I know. I'd rather be home right now too. But we can't without Batman's permission to look for a way to get back or access to the tech and other resources they may have on how to get us home. But…we could always look for the kid that teleported us here. I don't know where he'd be but it's an option,"

"He's obviously a bionic," Tori said,

"Yes. And he clearly doesn't have real control over his power,"

"But he was pretty precise with his—er—jumps," Tori said,

"Maybe we surprised him?"

"I'm thinking he has to see where he's jumping to—like me for geo-leaping, otherwise he'd just go anywhere he was thinking of. I could be wrong though," she said, raising her hands as if to ward of disagreement,

"No, I think you're right," Dick said thoughtfully, "but that begs the question: where could he have seen this earth before?" Tori nodded slowly and was about to elaborate further on the discussion when the zeta tube went off and Batman appeared before them,

"What's up B?" Dick asked, throwing their mentor from another world a smile,

"I came to see how you are adjusting to our world," he started,

"Don't beat around the bush, just ask us what you really want to know," Tori said, looking up at him from her position on the floor. Bruce glared at her before sighing,

"I never did ask why you ended up here in the first place. Robin mentioned a superhuman, but that doesn't explain why you were chasing him in the first place or why a superhuman was in Gotham. I figured since you've had a few days to rest and get your heads together, you'll be able to talk,"

"We were after the kid not because he did anything wrong, but because we needed to get him somewhere safe so he can either learn to control his new abilities or somehow get them removed," Dick said,

"Removed? Where is this 'place',"

"As of now it's STAR Labs," Tori said as she sat up to face Bruce, "only place closest to Gotham with scientists we trust,"

"The powers were granted to the kid through a microchip, like the size and shape of an SMS card implanted in the backs of their necks that fuse to their nervous system," Dick said,

"Willingly?" Batman asked, looking very grim,

"No," Tori said quietly, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her neck as if she were wracked with phantom pains. While she lost no limb, the chip that had been forcibly removed by the Talons that held her captive had felt like one for a while after it had been taken. Even now she sometimes feels a tingle or a zap of electricity on the back of her neck right before it was about to rain, "They were put there by a mad scientist…well a scientist, we only assume he's mad. He wanted to create a bionic army of kids that the Justice League couldn't fight—since they were children—and then use the chips to make everyone in the same league as the Justice League members. He thought he was making the world better in some sick way,"

"And you're trying to stop him?"

"No. We stopped him and he's awaiting trial right now. But all the kids he held captive were let loose so-to-speak. We don't know where they are and all the equipment we took from his underground lab is useless at the moment so we have no way of finding them," Dick said, "It's been mostly chance that led us to them,"

"Why not find the families of the kids?" Bruce asked, puzzled,

"They don't remember them. The scientist…he wiped their memories every time they even began to remember their mother's name or face," Tori said, and even she knew she was glaring at nothing when she said it. Bruce's expression darkened at the news,

"How many are there?"

"Fifty or so. All runaways mostly from Gotham…though some are from Metropolis," Dick said, "We've only found five, well now six. It's been difficult but we haven't given up. These bionic kids have no memories and are living on the streets or somewhere unknown entirely. They're dangerous and scared and we need to find them. The longer we are here, the more the others will worry and the less time they'll spend looking for them. We need to get back soon,"

"I understand," Bruce said gruffly, "I will try everything I can…but I can't guarantee we'll find a way. I think, as of now, the best bet you have out of here is the way you came," As Batman left through the zeta tubes, Dick and Tori glanced at each other, both with a worried expression. They both really needed to get back and find out who funded Mac's work and to find all the kids, they couldn't afford to be stuck there for more than a few days tops.

Eventually they left for the training room as soon as some of the team arrived at the Cave. Tori headed immediately for the uneven bars while Dick jumped up onto the tumble track trampoline they had. They messed around for a bit on the equipment, often switching between one gymnastics equipment to the other mid-air,

"My gymnastics coach would have a fit if he saw me doing that back home. More specifically my eighth grade coach…I don't really remember my other coaches that well and the one I had in high school I only had for junior year since I couldn't do gymnastics senior year," Tori said as she landed on the trampoline. She jumped straight up and curled in on herself for a front flip. Dick was rotating around and around the tallest uneven bar,

"Well, this is a little dangerous for civilian Tori to do," he replied as he let his grip loosen for his dismount and landed the triple back flip. The bars weren't high enough for his quad flip, "Plus, he didn't know how skilled you really were,"

"Oh my God, tell me about it. It's so annoying. My floor routine is so easy and safe. I loved floor too, it was my favorite event and he had me doing level four when I should have been doing a level six routine,"

"It can't be that bad," Dick said, jumping up on the tramp with her,

"It was trust me," Tori said, stopping her jumping and laying splayed out on the trampoline with Dick jumping around near her,

"Popcorn!" Dick exclaimed,

"Dick, wait no— _gah!"_ Tori cried as Dick landed forcefully near her, launching her into the air. She managed to land on her feet and she turned to glare at him. He didn't seem to think she was actually mad at him,

"Show me," Dick said, "Show me that easy and safe floor routine," Tori rolled her eyes,

"I'll do better than that, I'll give you commentary for the whole thing," she stated, hopping off the tramp and marching over to the makeshift mats used for the 'floor' of a gymnastics gym. There were weights and practice dummies as well as treadmills (for humans, aliens and speedsters) also workout machines for those who wanted them. There were no weapons except some wooden staffs.

Tori stepped into the square drawn on the mats by chalk and walked out a certain number of steps and stopped to face Dick,

"First you walk onto the mat to a super specific spot to start your routine," she said, "Then, as with every meet you salute the judges," Tori raised her arms above her head with her palms facing outwards towards the walls of the training room,

"Boo, I give you a zero already," Dick said, giving her a thumbs down,

"Why?" Tori demanded, feeling slightly angered,

"You forgot the most important part," Tori scrunched her brow trying to think of what she forgot. She hadn't competed in a while, though she still remembered most of her routines, her eighth grade floor routine being one of the most prominently remembered one,

"Oh! I remember. I forgot to smile," Tori said, saluting again and giving the 'judge' her most suck up smile she could muster. Dick chuckled and rolled his eyes,

"Deduction for sass," he said crossing his arms,

"Quit interrupting my performance Wing-Nut,"

"Deduction for name calling,"

"Diiiccckk," Tori whined, "You're the one who wanted to see this!"

"Sorry, continue," Tori huffed out a breath of air as she rolled her eyes at him,

"Deduction—,"

"DICK!"

"Okay, sorry. I'll stop now," Dick said in a placating matter. Tori saluted one more time before sliding to the ground with one knee bent to the side the other out straight with her toes pointed, she raised her right arm in the air while the other went across her body to the floor by her bent leg,

"So we start off with a random floor pose," she stated before she then stood up in one fluid motion and stood with her feet together and her arms by her sides, but slightly bent like she was holding an invisible tray,

"Then our house maid stance," Dick bit back a laugh. She raised her right arm and returned to her tray holding position, and then her left arm before putting her hands on her hips,

"Housemaid by day, drag race flag bearer by night," Tori said. Dick didn't hold his laugh back that time, "Followed by nagging nanny," she said with a grin. Tori kicked her left leg straight out before crossing it over her right leg and pivoting no her feet one hundred and eighty degrees,

"Fancy half spin because doing a full spin is too advanced," she stated with an eye roll. She then did a straddle jump with her arms in the air, making sure her toes are pointed before landing with her right leg bent and arms up in the air like she was saluting the judge again,

"Fancy jump in the air like a ballerina. Toes as pointed as humanly possible because it's bad news if you bend them even a little bit followed by a fancy pose," she said. Tori turned one hundred and eighty degrees again maintaining the same formation when the turn was completed, "Repetition is okay though."

She brought her feet together, took three lunging steps before performing a dive roll, her toes pointed of course, "Dive roll of the daring," she said as she rolled by. Tori landed the roll, did a chassé—a gliding step in a certain direction—to the right before bringing her arms up and slightly behind her head while bringing her feet together, "A fancy glide while you salute again, though it's not called a salute because it's incognito," Dick let out a snort as he shook his head from where he stood leaning against the trampoline with his arms crossed. Tori ran forward a few steps before executing a front handspring, sticking the landing, "Finally some action comes along but it's short lived," Coming out of the landing she brought her arms back up while stepping forward two steps, "Some random steps to make people wonder if she actually stuck the landing," She then ran diagonally back the way she came and completed a split leap to a side hop right before sliding to the floor again bracing her left hand on the floor with her right hand up in the air and her right leg bent at the knee over her straight left leg, "Ballerina jump followed by a baby jump before you fall on your ass…with style!"

Tori then straightened both legs out in pike position before turning over into seal stretch which is like the cobra pose from yoga, "Some stealth yoga. They give it a different name so people won't suspect its true purpose: to make it impossible to get back to your feet," She went up on her knees and slid into her split…toes pointed. Keeping her back straight she raised her right arm up while her left hand stayed on the floor and brought her right leg up in the air while bending her left leg at the knee, "Some splitting and then some un-splitting…nothing too interesting going on here," Tori then turned to the right and kneeled before standing again. Tori brought arms out before prancing on her left foot then right foot before dramatically bringing her hands to her chest then bringing them out as she rocked forward and backward, "Some horsing around and dramatic arm movement."

Sticking her legs together she then performed back-extension roll to a handstand and then planting her feet on the floor again with her arms raised. She then stepped forward, kicked with one leg, stepped forward, kicked with the other leg, "A kindergartner move and what I call the slow-mo cancan," She then turned her arms outwards, palms facing up before kneeling again,

"The 'we are not worthy' bow," she said, before standing and stepping back with her right foot before spinning off it and bringing that foot to the straight leg's knee, completing a full turn, "The balance goddess turn," and finally a Hitch-kick—a kick where you switch the foot you're landing on mid-air—to the right foot, "A ninja move…well what I thought a ninja move was back then," Tori said, shrugging a little as she glanced at Dick who was trying to remain stoic and watchful but was really just cracking up while she did her routine. The hitch-kick was followed by a turn, which didn't really need a comment to a back walkover before bringing her feet together and doing a round off double back handspring, "the last bit of action of the little action seen in this routine," Tori said as she stuck the landing she struck a pose, "With an awesome made up pose at the end," she added with a smirk before re-saluting to the 'judge'.

Dick gave a round of applause while laughing hysterically,

"I really wish all gymnastics routines had commentary like that," he said,

"I know. We should petition for that or something," Tori said as she stretched out her arms, "It's not that I think the moves are stupid, it was just that I was a few levels ahead of them since I took lessons outside of school too. Let's go see if anyone is back from their mission,"

"Is that really you Tori? Wanting to socialize with the people holding us 'prisoners?'" Dick asked with a mocking tone of shock. Tori glared at him,

"I just wanted to hear how their mission briefing went," Tori stated, crossing her arms before walking out, "You're welcome to join Mr. Asshole,"

"You really deserve the sassiest floor routine reward," Dick stated as he followed her out.

* * *

A/N: Do not get me wrong. I love love love gymnastics and this routine, as well as gymnastics in general, is no where _near_ simple or easy. Tori, was just a few levels ahead that's all. No offense intended to any gymnasts out here.

Next chapter on Monday as usual followed by a Short Story on Tuesday!

Please REVIEW! I'd love to hear some feedback!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I don't want to be one of those people...but I'm going to be one of those people just this once: I NEED REVIEWS! I know people are reading this story but I don't know if you guys are _liking_ it! I need feedback, as much as possible, if possible. This site is for entertainment and imagination, I want to know whether you like this story or not, and if you don't what I should do to improve this story.

Sorry for being 'that person' but I just want to make this the best possible story for anyone who's reading it.

Thanks!

Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 17

They entered the main room with the zeta tubes to find Nightwing, the blue one, talking to Tim, or Robin really. Tori would never get used to seeing Tim so…little and young. Part of her wanted to tease him for it but another knew that if she tried he'd just be weirded out or ask questions that she couldn't answer,

"Just don't die," Nightwing said, causing Robin's eyes to widen at the severity of the statement,

"Did you seriously just say that?" Tori cried, the two boys spun around, "How can you say that? Right before a mission!? As if he doesn't have enough on his shoulders! And that's just bad luck! You say 'oh don't make anything explode' and something explodes! Something always explodes! Then you say 'oh don't die' and—murph!" A hand clamped over her mouth and the other grabbed her by the wrist and started walking away,

"Sorry, don't mind us. We'll be in my room!" Dick said cheerfully at the stunned Nightwing and Robin. Dick dragged Tori to his room before firmly closing the door and letting her go. He opened his mouth to say something but Tori beat him to it,

"He can't just go around saying things like that! It's like taboo or something! You say one thing and everything goes wrong! He shouldn't do that! Every single thing that goes wrong happens when someone says something to jinx everything! Haven't they already been through enough when Jason—!" Tori knew she was over-reacting, but things like 'don't die' just shouldn't be said right before a mission, it was dangerous and things could go wrong and then that person would be stuck with that guilty feeling because they thought it was their fault that bad thing happened,

"—Tori, calm down," Dick said,

"I'm _completely_ calm! I'm just sick and tired of death that's all," Tori said, shoulders slumping,

"I know. Me too. I think we all are,"

"I-I don't think I could take anything else like that happening," Tori continued, she could hear herself stuttering and feel her heart contract and she knew the tears were coming before she felt them on her face, "It's just not fair," she cried,

"I know," was all Dick said, holding out his arms for a hug, which Tori gratefully took, "But you did bring up a sore memory for them too," Tori swallowed,

"I know, I was just…I don't even know what came over me. I guess I just couldn't think of death anymore…its been lurking in my mind since December started,"

"You should still apologize…if this Dick is anything like me…he wasn't there when Jason died. Bringing him up would've poured a lot of guilt on his shoulders that isn't good for a leader," Tori sniffed, before pulling out of the hug and wiping her eyes,

"I'll apologize when he gets back. You're right I shouldn't have said those things,"

"Yeah…but between you and me? I agree, he really shouldn't have said that to Tim. It's not exactly encouraging is it," Tori rolled her eyes at him before glancing at the clock by his bed,

"What are we going to do while we wait for them to get back?" Dick thought for a moment,

"Marco Polo on the gym equipment?"

"You're on," Tori said, dashing out the door and to the gym. Her tears were forgotten, but she still needed to mend some bridges that may have been burned from her overreaction.

. . .

Dick and Tori played Marco Polo on all the gymnastics equipment for hours it seemed. Tori now realized how hard it was to just sit around waiting for people who were on a mission to come back, that must be how Alfred felt every time one of them left on patrol. Eventually they just sat on the highest bar of the uneven bars and talked about things,

"So, I know everyone has been asking you this," Dick started, "But what do you plan on majoring in?" Tori groaned and fell backwards with her knees hooked on the bar,

"I am so tired of people asking me this…I really want to stab anyone who asks me that," she said, hanging like a monkey,

"Well you need to decide, you don't want to be in college forever even if many wish they could stay forever," Dick said, swinging so he was hanging next to her,

"I still don't know," Tori said with a sigh. Suddenly the zeta tubes went off, echoing loudly through the cave, announcing Nightwing's return to the Mountain. Tori let out another sigh, "I'm going to go apologize," she said, grabbing the bar and unhooking her legs. She dropped down onto the mat and started for the doorway,

"Wait, let's ask how the mission went," Dick said as he followed her out. Tori, who was already halfway down the hallway towards the main room of the cave gave Dick a look,

"Why ask when we can listen in," Tori said with a smirk, "He's calling someone right now,"

"Who?" Dick asked, "And how am I going to hear this?"

"Babs and I'll tell you what he says," Tori replied, leaning against the rocky wall right by the entrance way of the main room. Dick rolled his eyes by followed suit. He tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for Tori to say something,

"Okay, he's talking about some aliens called Kroloteans,"

"I've never heard of an alien species like that," Dick whispered,

"Well they were using zeta platforms to zeta to and from Earth and steal stuff and invade. They created robot humans or something like that,"

"That's messed up," Dick said,

"He sent out different teams to different locations—Barbara included but he wanted to tell her something that happened on his end…apparently Robin, the fish kid—I can't pronounce his name—and Blue Beetle stopped a large grouping of them…" Tori started but stopped as Nightwing's next words shocked her and worried her to the core,

"What? What is it?" Dick demanded, looking worried too,

"T-there was an explosion," Tori said, eyes wide, "Oh my God…there was an explosion…and after what I said—,"

"—Tori calm down—,"

"—Tim was in that!" Tori hissed,

" _Listen_ to him…was he hurt?" Tori bit her lip but cocked her head to the side and listened,

"No…h-he's fine. As are the others. They got themselves and the abductees out safely," Tori said in relief,

"See nothing to worry about," Dick said, "Now go out there and talk to him,"

"What? Now?" Tori asked, "He just got back from a mission and—hey!" she cried as Dick shoved her into the room. Tori shot her cousin a glare before walking over to where Nightwing stood, still typing on the computer even after Barbara hung up her holo-screen,

"It's awfully late on New Year's Eve to be working huh?" Tori asked, in way of greeting,

"It's been New Year's Day for three hours now. What are you still doing up?" Nightwing said shortly,

"Oh…wow…really? Happy New Year I guess," Tori said, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. Silence reigned before she sighed and decided to just blurt out her apology, "Look…about what I said earlier…I'm sorry," Nightwing stopped his typing to face her, an eyebrow raised,

"What do you mean?"

"I'm apologizing for my whole rant about saying 'don't die' to Tim?" Tori said. Nightwing frowned before sighing himself,

"You were right though. I shouldn't have said that. He has enough pressure as it is and just reminding him of his predecessor just made everything worse," Tori winced at the mention of dead Jason. They still had at least another year before he was resurrected… _if_ he was even resurrected here. This Bruce knew that Jason was alive on their world…she wondered why he hadn't told any of his partners what he knew yet,

"It's good to remember people you've lost," Tori said, "But it's better to remember how they lived…not just how they died. That's just branding them as the one who died,"

"Try telling that to Batman," Nightwing muttered, "He lives to remember how others have died," Tori had to agree,

"Then be the one that remembers differently. You became Nightwing for a reason. Don't put Jason's death on Tim's shoulders, give him a piece of how he lived before what happened happened. Remind him that it isn't just death we fight against from the shadows…remind him we fight for the good lives that are lived as well," Nightwing smiled, briefly it was there…the first smile Tori ever saw him wear since she got here,

"For someone who's very new at this whole hero gig, you're very wise,"

"As crazy as it seems, my wisdom comes from experience," Tori said. Remembering in flashes how crazy everything was two years ago. She blinked rapidly to scatter the visions of the past. Silence reigned for a moment and Tori was going to leave and turn in for the night when Nightwing suddenly spoke up,

"W-were you there?" he asked, "That night…when they—fell?" Tori stared at him for a moment, trying to understand the question when it hit her…and she felt a twist in her heart for her cousin of another world. With a sad frown Tori shook her head,

"No…I wasn't. I...wasn't raised at Haly's Circus," she replied, "I grew up in Gotham. Born and raised,"

"Oh," was all he said, he looked disappointed, but at the same time relieved and slightly confused. Tori figured he didn't want her to see their death over and over again in her mind like he probably did,

"We didn't know we were cousins until two years ago," Tori added, to get rid of what she assumed his confusion was about,

"What? Really?" Dick exclaimed, "How's that possible?"

"It's—complicated," Tori said. She was going to tell him it was a long story, but he would have wanted her to elaborate. Tori didn't want to explain her whole story yet. The story of Cobbs, Crownes and Graysons…it wasn't the time and Tori didn't feel ready to tell a whole new group of people what had happened to her and why. Plus, he didn't know of Talons or the Court yet…or even of William Cobb. They might not even exist and she didn't want anyone to worry about what could happen or what should have happened in the eyes of the Court, especially if it probably won't. Nightwing gave her a perplexed look before shrugging, as if to say 'I won't ask if you won't explain' before turning back to the holo-computer,

"You should get some sleep, it's late," he said,

"So should you," Tori replied, "You just had a mission,"

"Goodnight," was all he said. Tori turned towards her room with a sigh,

"Goodnight," she muttered.

A/N: I hated that line in the show...it was probably one of the worst things ever said in that show. So I took my anger about that out through Tori! Okay, next chapter on Monday and a new Short Story tomorrow!

And Remember!

REVIEW!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Still not getting any reviews...are you guys getting bored of this series? I'm going to keep posting but my heart hurts a little...

...oh well...I'm posting an extra pity-me chapter in the hopes of getting at least one review. :)

Keep reading loyal fans, things will heat up. I _promise_!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 18

Tori blinked herself awake, only to stumble. Blinking rapidly her heart rate racing she realized she was standing upright and the only reason she hadn't fallen over was because Dick was standing next to her, a hand on her shoulder. They were in the hallway to the living room of Mount Justice, the team's base…she had no idea how she had gotten there. It was dark in the hallway and her heart wouldn't stop hammering in her chest, her chest felt like it was trash compacting itself. It was hard to breathe and she had no idea what was going on. She glanced around, still trying to find her bearings even though she knew where she was. Tori finally focused on Dick, who was speaking to her and looked very worried. His voice sounded tinny, like she'd gotten boxed in the ears,

"—found you walking around out here," he said, "—Sleepwalking…won't wake…had to slap…sorry…are…okay?" Tori blinked stupidly at him, still trying to breathe. She tried to remember what she'd been dreaming about, she had to have been dreaming about something in order to sleepwalk. Her head felt like a spinning top and before she could even try to speak her legs gave out. Dick grabbed her by the arms as she nearly tumbled over, she could feel a dampness on her cheeks and realized that, _yet again_ , she was _crying_. She hated to cry and she hated that she did it over something she didn't even remember. Dick had realized too and helped her sit up against the wall,

"Tori, Tori, _look_ at me," he said. Tori tried but everything was spinning and she felt horrible. Her logical side realized that she was having a panic attack and needed to calm down, her emotional side only knew she was having a panic attack and needed to _panic!_ Tori tried to take a breath to speak to Dick, but her body wouldn't respond. Dick seemed to realize this and gently pushed her shoulders forward so her head was in between her legs and started to rub her back, "Just take deep even breaths Tori. Deep even breaths. Count in three, hold for four, out for six. You can do it. Just breath," it was getting easier to hear him. Tori forced herself to focus on his voice, and the calmness of it. She did as he said and took in deep shaky breaths. Trying not to hitch on the air and to blink the flowing tears out of her eyes. Eventually she had calmed down enough to sit up fully, her knees still bent, and lean her arms on them. Coughing and sniffing slightly as she did so,

"I'm—," she started to croak,

"Don't say your sorry," Dick interrupted her, "It's okay. You had a panic attack…we've all had them at one point or another," Tori let out another breath of air and closed her eyes while leaning her head against the rocky wall, "Do you remember what you were dreaming about?" Tori shook her head, eyes still closed,

"I think it was about Mac," she whispered,

"You haven't had one of those in a while," Dick noted, Tori nodded,

"It think that's why I reacted the way I did. It was so sudden after such a long time without any memories,"

"It's not really a memory if you don't remember what it was,"

"It makes me wonder whether it was something so insignificant that it's pointless to remember or if it was so bad that my mind forced me to forget it again…the worst part is that I'll never really know," Dick didn't say anything, and he didn't need to. Tori took another deep breath, "I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep," she confessed,

"Want to camp with me?" Dick asked, Tori raised an eyebrow at him,

"Really?"

"Oh please, Tim and Damian do it all the time…even Jason when he was younger. Don't tell him I told you that though," Dick said with a smirk, "C'mon, what do you say. Cousin cuddles?" Tori let out a small laugh before nodding,

"I don't think I'll be able to really stand I'm shaking so much, but yes let's go," Dick gave a smile before standing and pulling her up with him where they stumble stepped back to Dick's guest room. Tori collapsed immediately on the bed while Dick rummaged around the newly filled dresser for a few things. They had graduated from prisoners to prisoners with benefits, meaning they could go out and buy things with a League member present. He put some bundled stuff in front of the door,

"In case you decide to sleepwalk again. You'll trip over the stuff and it might hurt on the rocky floor, but it will wake you up," he explained before jumping into the bed. Tori didn't bother to remind him that she wouldn't even feel it if she fell and just pulled the pillow to her chest and hugged it. They both lay on their backs staring up at the ceiling in silence for a moment,

"It's so weird how so much stuff has happened recently while we've been here. We've only been here six days and already they blew up an island, got six members of the Justice League sent to Rimbor for some trial for some reason and some other mission that they didn't include us on—,"

"—they didn't include us on any of their missions," Dick stated, "They still don't trust us and we've been here almost a week,"

"No, I meant they actually told us about the missions…except that last one. The one Babs went on with the other girls?"

"And the one where Bart Allen showed up out of the blue. That was weird,"

"I know! He looked like he was eleven!"

"And they didn't tell us where he's staying at the moment. I haven't seen him around the Cave,"

"He's probably with the Gerricks," Tori said,

"That's logical," Dick agreed, "I wonder how much has happened back home,"

"Hopefully they don't think we're dead," Tori said,

"That's happened way to often don't you think?"

"Way, way way too often," Tori agreed, "Do you think they're looking?"

"Of course they're looking,"

"How was it seeing Babs nine years younger?" Tori said, nudging him with her toe,

"Odd," Dick said, nudging her back. Silence reigned for a moment or two,

"Barbara's pregnant," Dick blurted out. Tori jack-knifed into a sitting position,

"What! And you didn't tell us!" Tori said, pouncing on Dick to give him a hug,

"Oof! We were going to tell everyone on New Year's…but that didn't happen because I was here,"

"This is so exciting!" Tori cried, "I can't wait to tell everyone!"

"Alright, alright, enough yelling in my ear. It is well past two in the morning, you need to get to sleep,"

"You're no fun!"

"Shhh," Dick said with his eyes closed,

"Oh c'mon, tell me more information!" Tori complained, poking him in the cheek and trying to get him to wake up, even if he was nowhere close to truly being asleep,

"She's about two months," he said, "I just missed an appointment," his eyes were still closed, "Now shhh, and sleep otherwise you won't sleep and be afraid to sleep tomorrow…or I guess tonight," Tori glared at him because he was right and because she didn't want to sleep, "I can feel you glaring at me,"

"Shut up," Tori groaned, rolling over and curling up in a ball, "I will so not feel bad if I wake you up because of another nightmare,"

"Goodnight Tori,"

"Goodnight Dick head," she said, smirking at his muffled groan of outrage before closing her eyes and forcing herself to sleep.

. . .

Truth be told, Tori didn't sleep nearly as well or as long as she should have. She did sleep till seven though, which was a big improvement for her. The lack of sleep might be because her death day is coming up, it also may be because Mac's trial was coming up and she had to testify…hence all the Mac related nightmares. The anxiety of even testifying against him and the fact that she may _miss_ the trial was eating at her, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore her worries, they kept creeping back in. It could also be that she missed Jason, and Tim and Steph and Liam and of course her other siblings. Sure, she spoke to the Team, they just weren't the people she loved from home.

Instead of trying to go back to sleep she got up and tip-toed out into the hallway and moved down to where the living room area was. The lights were on, indicating that someone had been there recently, but no one was in sight. Frowning, Tori closed her eyes and listened. She could hear echoes piercing throughout the Cave, rebounding off its rocky walls. The loudest echoes were coming from down below…which Tori didn't think was possible. Still she investigated what she'd heard and discovered a stone staircase leading down to a crypt below the Cave. Inside the crypt were holograms of people. Two were of people she didn't really know other than one was a Blue Beetle, not the one currently on the Team and the other was an Atlantean girl since she had gills. The third she did recognize. It was Jason. Sure she knew he was dead in this world, but it still sent a twinge of pain through her chest at seeing the hologram and him in a Robin suit, a suit that got him killed.

Tori must have made a sound because the person who had been making the echoes, Robin…or really Tim her half brother…whirled around to face her. He'd been sitting in front of Jason's hologram and looked rather guilty about it, like a child caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar,

"What are you doing down here?" he asked,

"Exploring," was all she said as she walked over the bridge that went over a mini underground stream to sit next to him in front of Jason's hologram, "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"Training starts in an hour and I just…felt like coming here,"

"Why's that?" Tori asked, "Why do you want to sit in a crypt for the dead," Tim winced before shrugging,  
"I dunno. I mean, I never knew him…and they never talk about him," at that Tori rolled her eyes, "Being here makes me feel like I'm closer to the guy who wore this suit—or really a different version of this suit—before me,"

"What do you know about him?" Tori asked,

"I know he was impulsive, and didn't listen to orders and was too curious for his own good,"

"You say that like it's a bad thing,"

"Only if it puts you in danger,"

"You're in danger every night, what do you have to lose?"

"A lot," Tori frowned,

"Jason _was_ very impulsive. And curious and didn't listen very well. But he was kind and funny and while sometimes he didn't listen to things he thought were stupid or irrelevant, when you really got to know him he's the best listener in the world. He will look you in the eyes the entire time you are talking and hang on your every word, then he'll make you laugh and he'll talk to you for hours and despite his lack of filter he had a way with words. A way to get your attention and make every second count that you got to converse with each other because his mind runs a mile a minute. He had a lot to say whether it was about something important or something about patrol or something about classic literature—he loved that stuff—," Tori couldn't help but feel weird talking about her boyfriend in the past tense, and she also couldn't say what she said without smiling, "And yes, you have a lot to lose by throwing yourself into dangerous situations, but at the same time you're keeping others from experiencing worse losses,"

"You must've known Jason pretty well," Tim said. Tori raised an eyebrow at this. Jason had met Tim on certain occasions when they were all younger. Especially when Bruce dragged him to parties and fund raisers and celebrations at different socialites' houses. Sure they weren't the best of friends and hardly hung out or anything of the sort, but they knew the other existed up until they actually were both legally adopted by Bruce and were legally brothers. Then they knew each other really well and either hated each other or not for certain periods of time. Tori figured on this world the ages were different and they missed each other,

"Well, he was my boyfriend," again, it was so weird saying 'was' she was worried it would be like taboo if she kept saying it, "I should know him pretty well,"

"Oh…I'm sorry," Tori bit her lip, it was bad enough that Jason actually died, it was worse that he was resurrected in her world but not in this one. She couldn't say anything that would hint on what happened next, _if_ it even happened. She instead just nodded,

"Let me just say, that as a girlfriend of a former Robin, don't think to hard about the mantle you took up. Think about the legacy you'll leave behind. No matter what happens you will make your own name in those colors. You will never be Dick as Robin or Jason as Robin, but you will be _Tim_ as Robin and no one else. Don't let the past pull you down. You're not Jason and everyone needs to understand that. Jason was a great Robin in his own way despite what Batman may say…he has this certain passion when it comes to saving the innocent and condemning the guilty. Your passion will be different and that's okay,"

"I guess my counterpart had issues regarding his role as Robin back where you're from?"

"More or less, yeah. He had to make a name for himself as a Robin and he did,"

"Really…wait _'did'?_ What does that mean? How old am I?"

"Uh…nothing, it was just a figure of speech," Tori said, wondering if she'd given something important away, "You're twenty,"

"Oh, around the same age as you then," Tim guessed,

"Yeah, actually you're—er, he is—ten months older than I am," Tori said,

"You're a Crowne right?"

"That is my last name,"

"So then your family must have been family friends with mine," Tim said. Tori tried not to look panicked, they were sailing into dangerous territory making Tori have to watch what she said,

"Well yeah, we were," Tori said,

"Were?" Tim asked frowning,

"Well…my parents died so…yeah…no more fancy house and parties or that sort of thing,"

"Hm, that goes along with what happened here," he said,

"Wait…really?" Tori asked, sitting up more and looking at him in shock,

"I mean the Crowne Family Fire…it happened years ago, no one survived," Tori stared at him for a second or two processing that information,

"Um…not everyone died in that fire in my world. My mom survived…she was two,"

"Hm…interesting," Tim said, putting a hand to his chin in thought, "Similar events different outcomes. My dad said he was around two when that happened as well. Every time I ask him about it he says the same thing 'if any Crowne had survived the Drakes would have taken them in.' Our families have always been close,"

"Who's that girl over there?" Tori asked, after a second of silent thought, redirecting the conversation and trying not to sound too shocked as one thought circulated through her head: _He said that in the present tense! Jack Drake is alive here, he is still alive. My_ _ **father**_ _is still_ _ **alive!**_ Tori mentally shook her head and focused on what Tim said next,

"That's Tula. She was Aquagirl. She joined up after the first year since the Team was created. She wasn't one of the originals, but she had been apart of the Team longer than anyone else of the Team at the present has. She died a year or so after Jason," Tim said, looking a little sad at his fallen teammate, even if he hadn't really known her,

"The originals?" Tori asked, it sounded like a title for a soap opera,

"Dick, M'gahn, Superboy, Wally West…you know him right? He's Kid Flash and Artemis," Tori bit her lip, she heard that name before…Artemis,

"Wait…Artemis as in _Artemis_ _Crock?_ " Tori asked, she remembered Tim talking about her…and what happened to her during the Culling with NOWHERE. She had fought along side the Titans against her peers and NOWHERE'S leaders only to be killed,

"Yeah. You know her?"

"Well yeah…I mean you know her better than I do," Tori lied sort of and trying desperately not to use the past tense, "Where is she now?"

"Oh, she and Wally retired. They're going to college, living together and everything…though they still help out when they're asked,"

"Wait…Artemis and Wally West… _retired?_ Wow, I am sorry, that is weird…they hardly knew each other in my world. This is a lot to process," Dick and Wally were really good friends in her world, and Wally was still a hero. Suddenly the sound of the zeta tubes blasted through the Mountain, no doubt waking everyone else up,

"Well, I got to go to my training session. It was nice talking. And if you want to talk to Artemis you can do that later tomorrow. She's coming by for a mission, like I said, they help when they're asked," with that Tim got up and left. Tori watched him go, biting her lip and frowning at the same time while resting her chin on her knees,

"I've got a bad feeling about this," she told the hologram of Jason.

A/N: Well Tori got some interesting information and avoided some questions that could reveal too much. Things will heat up I promise, stay tuned and the next chapter will be on Monday as usual!

REVIEW! PWEASE!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Still no reviews...it's a little disheartening, but I do know people are reading this, which makes it better! I do hope you are enjoying what you are reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 19

"Wait… _Tim?"_ Adam exclaimed, Tim had been pretty sure it was Adam, and the boy's reaction proved his prediction correct. Jason and Damian looked over at Tim before glaring at Adam suspiciously,

"You know each other?" Jason asked, still glaring at the kid,

"Yeah…we were family friends before my parents died,"

"You're Tim under that mask?" Adam exclaimed, "Seriously! _Tim?_ You're _Red Robin!"_

"Don't shout it out for all of Gotham to hear you ingrate!" Damian snapped, "We wear these masks for a reason!"

"Damian, calm down," Tim said, he was still trying to get over the fact that _Adam_ , who had gone missing at least two and a half years ago, was suddenly standing in front of them…oh and he has bionics. His mysterious disappearance wasn't much of a mystery anymore. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Angry, yes, worried…yes and he didn't know what to do for Adam or why he was even here trying to find them, "How did you get away from Mac?"

"You know about Mac?" Adam asked, looking at them suspiciously,

"Yeah, we do. We're trying to find kids like you and get you some help," Jason said,

"Yeah. _'Help'"_ Adam said with an eye roll. It was clear he had no trust for many things now, and that was understandable,

"Why are you even here?" Damian demanded, "Why are you looking for Drake?"

"I'm looking for you because…well, it's really about two things, but I'm not really sure which one I want to say first…"

"Quit stammering kid," Jason snapped, "Spit it out!"

"Okay! Geez. So…you know Nightwing and Talon right?—" Adam started, he didn't get to finish. Jason suddenly lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar of his ratty sweater,

"What do you know about Talon?" Jason hissed in Adam's face,

" _Hood,_ " Tim snapped, "Put him down! _Now,"_ though he too wanted to know what Adam knew…his worry grew,

"I know where they are!" Adam cried, Jason still hadn't put him down,

"How do you know? It's your fault isn't it?" Jason sneered, "Tell me where she is or I swear to God—!"

"I teleported them to another world accidentally. I didn't mean to!"

"Hood, put him down now!" Tim cried, worried for Adam while wondering if that was even possible. Sure, they had theories about the existence of other worlds that started to form from when Bruce was sent back in time but they were just theories and they had no way of actually testing them. Adam's ability was sort of like Tori's ability to geo-leap, which was a form of teleporting. Based on what he had just seen and from when Tori had Bionics, both abilities required a visual of a location to 'jump' to but teleporting had a different molecular component than geo-leaping. Tori when she geo-leaped inked into shadows and moved that way to the desired location while teleporting was blinking in, out and then in again of existence. If Adam can leave what they understood as existence…was it possible for him to reappear in _another_ , different type of existence or, rather, world?

"You did _what?"_ Jason yelled, his pent up anger and worry for Talon reared it's ugly head, and at a very undesirable time. Tim couldn't blame him, he too felt a flash of irritation—why hadn't Adam learned to control his abilities? If he had they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place,

"Todd. Put him down. Scaring him will not help Talon's situation," Damian said, as if trying to calm a bear,

"Shut up Demon Brat," Jason snarled,

"Hood, listen to him," Tim said, actually agreeing with Damian for once…though he was angry he knew he had to think rationally and act rationally as well, "Put Adam down,"

"Not until he takes me to her,"

"No! Don't say that, you don't know what that…uh…dimension is like! You could ruin their timeline!"

"I don't give a damn about their timeline!" Jason snapped before swinging Adam so that he dangled over the edge of the building,

"Todd, knock it off! Taking such measures will eliminate any chances of retrieving the answers we may need!" Damian snapped,

"Quit using his name!" Tim said before calling to Jason, "Don't scare him any more!"

"I can use whatever name I want Drake. He already knows one of our names," Damian snapped rolling his eyes,

"You tell us what you know or I drop you off the side of this building," Jason said,

"Hood, your crazy is showing," Damian snapped,

 _"Shut up!"_ Jason roared, his attention was pulled to Adam who was scrabbling at his hands, "Ow, quit scratching me!"

"Well you can't blame him!" Tim yelled. Jason was about to say something back when suddenly he and Adam vanished. There was a very distinguished pop and they were just gone.

* * *

Jason, in retrospect, should have expected the kid to have absolutely no control over his powers but would it kill him to learn how to land? Jason, who let go of the brat as soon as they vanished from the rooftop, landed face first on hard, cold and pointy in certain places rock. Nice solid rock that hurt his face through the helmet. On top of that he got the wind knocked out of him and might have possibly broken some ribs. Rolling over to his back, groaning and muttering some curses under his breath, he discovered that he only bruised his ribs…badly.

Next he realized that the kid wasn't where he was. He had fucking ditched him. Jason swore and struggled to sit up only to realize that there was a large ass white wolf glaring daggers at him and growling. Where the hell was he and why was there a wolf on steroids in a cave…a very nice looking cave, yes…but really, a cave? Jason did not usually believe alternate world/dimension shit that Tim and Bruce sometimes go on about, but at the moment…he's willing to believe that that is what happened. No other explanation would suffice for this fucked up place,

"Whoa there…uh…wolfie. Nice giant wolf," Jason said as he moved into a crouch, one hand outward palm forward towards the wolf in a placating gesture. The other rested on his holster. When he got his hands on that Adam kid, he was going to kill him…or possibly thank him because he might have upheld Jason's request and brought him to where Tori was. But at the moment it was unclear where he was…or even when he was. That was a scary thought…not that he'd admit it,

"Wolf, what are you growling at?" a young voice called just as a blond girl with star earrings and another boy walked into the room. It was Jason's turn to glare. There was a Robin suit on the boy. There was a _Robin_ in the room and he did not know whether it was the first, second, third, fourth or fifth or not even a specific one of them and either way, he was not happy about it. Every time he saw the R symbol on some little kid's shirt his insides boiled with rage. Even seeing Damian in the suit made his blood boil because that suit got him killed and because Bruce didn't stop after he died, he continued endangering people and didn't learn from the past.

The two kids whipped into action, it was almost humorous. The blond, who Jason just realized was wearing a Wonder Woman shirt, held up her fists with a determined expression while the Robin pulled out a bo staff that crackled with electricity. The wolf growled from where it stood next to the girl as if in approval of the kids actions and to back them up,

"Who the hell are you?" Jason snapped,

"We can ask you the same question," the Robin snapped, "Remove your weapons and helmet and assume the position," Jason blinked at the two of them, though the gesture was lost due to his helmet, before laughing. Deeply and menacingly. They had no idea who they were dealing with. This alternate world…might not be so bad afterall.

* * *

A/N: Well Jason got what he wanted afterall. It'll be fun hearing Dick and Tori explain his existence and resurrection to the other world who believe him dead! MWAHAHA!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Next chapter on Monday, Short story tomorrow!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry this was posted so late. I was driving home from a skiing trip in Vermont so I didn't have internet until now to update the story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 20

"Damian, go to Batman and tell him what we know. Do it fast!" Damian didn't say anything, just let out a 'tt' sound before leaping off the rooftop and swinging in the direction of Bruce's last known location. Tim stood on the rooftop and waited, hoping Adam would return and talk to him without his brothers ruining the conversation. A popping noise behind him confirmed his hope and brought a relieved sigh from him,

"I'm sorry about Hood. He can be…a bit unstable at times," Tim said, turning to face Adam, "I hope we can start this conversation again. It's good to see you,"

"I hope it's good to see you," Adam said, rubbing his throat, "Are you or the little kid gonna toss me over the roof again?"

"No. But…um…where is Hood?"

"He could be anywhere in the world I brought him to by now," Adam said with a sigh, "I could try to teleport to him by thinking of what he was wearing…since I didn't see his face…but I could end up going to that world's Red Hood instead and that would not end well,"

"No it wouldn't," Tim agreed with a frown,

"I know it's the same world as the world Nightwing and Talon are in though. They'll hopefully find each other,"

"Yeah…Adam…are…are you okay?" Tim couldn't help but ask. He could feel a difference in Adam, something was different about the boy he had been friends with when he was little. Before Steph and Tori, before he became Robin and before Adam disappeared. Adam gave Tim a perplexed look,

"Am I okay?" he repeated, as if the words had no real meaning to him,

"I know you're probably not…but I couldn't help asking. Do your parents—,"

"I can't tell my parents anything," Adam interrupted, "I haven't even talked to them since I escaped and that was two years ago. As far as they know, I'm missing or maybe they think I'm dead…do you know? Do you know what they think?" Tim pursed his lips, trying to think of what to say. He considered lying…but thought better of it. Adam hated liars before being kidnapped, it was one of the reasons they got along so well seeing as Tim hated to lie and liars as well,

"They think you're dead," he said mutely, "I know your mother goes to your grave on holidays and your birthday. I'm sorry," Adam was silent for a while,

"I don't really know how to react to that. An empty grave, yet it's the only piece of me they have left. I didn't even remember them enough at first, but now…I can't even see them and even if I did they wouldn't believe it was me. I've been on the run for the past two years and that was difficult enough as it is,"

"Wait…Adam…what do you mean on the run who's—," Tim started only to cut himself off as the sound of helicopter blades cut through the air. They both glanced up in time to see the aircraft turn and open its doors to… _fire_ at them! Tim barely pushed Adam behind him in time to deploy his metallic wings and stop the bullets, "Who's shooting at us!" Tim yelled over the sound of dinging,

"He's found me!" Adam moaned in terror, "I need to get out of here!"

" _No!_ Don't teleport, it's clear they somehow found you when you used your ability. I bet whoever's after you created a device to track bionics or at least your bionics. I have no clue why but it's clear you can't hide them anymore. If we want to get out of here we need to run," Adam nodded determinedly before yelping in terror as Tim jumped off the roof, tugging him along.

Tim glided to the ground and broke out into a run as soon as his feet hit asphalt, Adam was close on his heels. The helicopter remained stationary, but foot soldiers of some kind…Tim had no clue who sent the helicopter or what kind of henchmen were in it… leapt out and started after them. Tim and Adam zig-zagged, trying to avoid bullets when they were fired on by the soldiers following on foot. The sprinted through the city's late night traffic. Avoiding the rooftops because of the ever persistent helicopter. They zigzagged through late night traffic nearly plowing into several cars before ducking back into the alleyway maze that Gotham seemed to have no matter where in the city you were. It was clear just how jaded everyone in Gotham was because they didn't even react to the giant helicopter and men with guns following two kids—one a vigilante—through the city streets. They passed through another street full of traffic before making it to the sidewalk again. Adam let out a laugh,

"What?" Tim called, not looking back,

"Biker…just took out…thug!" Tim cracked a smile before frowning again,

"What is…going on?" Tim huffed as he spun on his heel and darted into an alleyway. Adam barely managed to redirect himself before answering,

"They…'re….trying….to…catch…me," Adam panted,

"Mac's behind bars how…would getting you…benefit?" Tim demanded, ducking under a spray of bullets…they got semi-automatics now—not good,

"Mac…pawn. Bigger picture…not…real…mastermind," Adam said, struggling to breath. They've been running for a while now, and Adam didn't have super endurance and neither did Tim. His sides were burning and dodging bullets wasn't easy. Tori had tried to teach him how to listen for the whistle in the air to know which direction the bullet was arcing…but Tim didn't have Talon hearing and Tori couldn't really figure out a way to teach him because of that, therefore that lesson failed. They needed back-up and fast. Tim brought a hand to his comm in his ear, ready to call for back-up when a cry from behind him made him stop. Adam had been hit by a bullet. The attackers, who apparently weren't after Tim and had stopped firing, marched forward slower now. They knew they had what they came for and they wanted him alive. Tim didn't know why they needed only Adam…but he did know he had a decision to make.

Tim looked over where Adam lay, clutching his leg in pain, with a thoughtful expression. His mind moving a mile a second. If he waits he could probably take out a few of the attackers but eventually he'd be caught like Adam especially with no backup…the family was dreadfully stretched thin and dwindling in numbers, in doing so he'd find out who was really behind Mac's experiments and the purpose behind Biotech, the chips, the children and their misguided war against the Justice League as well as the equalizing of the non-Metas and Metas. But at the same time he wouldn't be able to do anything with that information and no one other than him and Adam would know about that person. He could try and carry Adam away, but that would slow them both down, add stress to Adam's wound and prompt their pursuers to fire at the both of them. Tim sighed, it was a difficult choice, but he couldn't afford to be caught with Adam. He quickly sprinted over to Adam,

"I have to leave you. I'm sorry," he said quickly and quietly, "I'm putting a tracker on you. It's activated and I will be able to find you even if it is destroyed. I'll be able to trace its last known location and use that to find you," Adam looked at Tim in shock, that morphed to anger and then understanding. He nodded and through a hissing breath said,

"Take this," and handed Tim a scrunched up piece of paper, "It'll get you some help,"

"I'll get you out. I promise," Adam nodded,

"Go. I'll—I'll be fine. Just go!" Adam shouted clearly afraid but he realized that Tim was making that right choice. Tim tucked the paper into his utility belt and sprinted away from the area. Grappling to higher ground and leaping across the rooftops, the thugs fired after him, realizing now the importance of capturing both of them—thugs are sometimes so stupid—but Tim dodged them effectively. In the five minutes it took him to establish enough ground between him and the attackers. The sounds of bullets and gunfire as well as helicopter blades had vanished, as if the chase had never occurred.

Tim pulled out the tracking device and activated it. A green blip appeared on the screen and was rapidly moving away form Gotham City,

"Gotcha," Tim said with a small smirk, "We'll get you out Adam… _I promise."_

* * *

A/N: Tim's just assuming the tracking device is how they found Adam.

Next chapter on this Monday. Short story on Tuesday!

REVIEW!


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Guess who sucks because she forgot to post a Short Story? This girl! :(

I'm really sorry. I'll try to get one up later today or tomorrow or anytime this week. To amend this mistake, here's another chapter...I feel really bad. Sorry!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 21

Jason still stood where he'd been since landing in the seemingly different dimension. He still had a smirk under the helmet he wore. Sure, he knew that he was possibly in danger, especially because the wolf was still glaring at him and it had a very hungry look in its eyes. The wolf kind of freaked him out, but Wonder Woman Jr and Robin some number or such? No, they didn't scare him one bit. He could take them and then find Tori…and maybe Dick if he felt like it,

"Drop your weapons now!" The blond girl said with false bravado,

"So, you must be Cassie," Jason said casually, seeing her face morph form anger to shock with a pleased smirk. He was glad he had once actually paid attention when Tim had been discussing his teammates and their names,

"You look way different than you do where I'm from," he said,

"Who are you?" the Robin demanded, he took a step forward which prompted Jason to pull out his guns,

"Another step," Jason said, "I dare you," sure, he shouldn't be this aggressive to any one of his brothers even if it was a different universe. It could change the timeline like Tim had said before Adam the asshole teleported him here,

"Robin, have you seen Superboy I—," a new voice said as they marched into the room. Jason rolled his eyes, it was Dick…of course it was Dick. All dressed up as Nightwing…now Jason might actually be in trouble. Still he moved his left hand to face Dick while the other remained trained on Robin and WonderGirl,

"Who are you?" Nightwing demanded, a glare in place as he eyed not the gun pointed at him, but the gun pointed at Robin,

"Taking better care of this one aren't you?" Jason taunted, "Batman didn't really learn from his mistake did he?" Yes, he did still harbor hurt feelings for Bruce's refusal to kill the Joker after the madman had killed him and he was livid that the old man continued to take on partners. As if one death wasn't warning enough that Gotham was too dangerous for kids in yellow capes…sure, the cape wasn't yellow anymore and the colors were darker too but that still didn't change anything. And yes, Jason and Bruce were on better terms, he'd forgiven his Bruce…but _this_ Bruce clearly didn't care enough either and while Jason didn't know the future of this world, it didn't seem like he was going to change. Jason stared at Nightwing's glare, slightly disappointed Goldie couldn't see his smirk. Nightwing glared a moment longer before smirking at Jason…that put him on alert, why would he smirk when he had a gun…

"Miss Martian," Nightwing called, and suddenly the guns were yanked from his grasp and flung across the room. Jason stared after them before looking back at Nightwing, WonderGirl and Robin as a green woman appeared floating a few feet away from them,

"What the fuck?" he muttered,

"Now, remove the helmet…or do you want me to do that for you too?" the green girl said, staring evenly at Jason, as if she knew they had already won.

* * *

Tori could hear Wolf growling. He'd been growling continuously for the past two minutes and it was really rather annoying. She gritted her teeth and upped the volume of the new headphones she bought and continued chucking her throwing knives at one of the many dummies in the training room. Dick had been with her for the past hour and a half when they'd been sparring together, now he was somewhere in the Mountain, while Tori decided to continue training. Tori moved to throw another knife when, through the headphones, she heard Tim speak,

"…Assume the position!" he demanded. Tori rolled her eyes, did he use that every time he was confronted by an unfriendly. She shook her head, moving to throw another knife when she froze mid throw,

"Wait… _unfriendly!"_ she cried out loud before dropping the knife with a clatter and dashing for the door. Sure, she knew that this Tim was not _her_ brother and he could probably take care of himself…but he was younger and less experienced than her brother back home and at the moment he was younger than her and she'd be damned if she let anything bad happen to him. Call her overprotective but even if it was a training exercise, and she doubted it was, she'd be running towards this confrontation in a heartbeat.

Tori was halfway down the hallway heading towards the main entrance to the Cave when she heard Nightwing growl,

"Who are you?" he sounded angry, this must be real. Tori started jogging. She knew her footfalls were generally silent, but she didn't know if this intruder was a Meta or not and she didn't want to lose the element of surprise. How had this person even get here without alerting everyone else? Tori heard a clatter of two objects, probably weapons, as if they were yanked from somewhere by a rope. Tori started to sprint even when M'gahn's voice sounded out, calm and serious,

"Now, remove the helmet…or do you want me to do that for you too?" Tori stumbled to a stop…there's only one person she knew that wore a helmet. Tori started sprinting again, a huge smile on her face as she exited the hallway and stumbled into the main room where Nightwing, Miss Martian, Robin and WonderGirl all stood surrounding a man who was in the process of removing his giant red helmet. He had only just started to lower his hands when Tori pushed through the ring of heroes and launched herself at him,

"Jason!" she cried happily as he dropped the helmet to catch her,

"Toria," he said, sounding shocked as he lifted her up and spun her in a circle and gave her a kiss.  
As he put her down Tori realized they still had an audience who were staring at the two of them eyes wide,

"What did you say…?" Nightwing asked, "… _Jason?"_ he added as soon as he saw the 'intruder's' face,

"What's going on? Are we attacking?" Cassie asked, eyeing Miss Martian in question who in turn was looking at Nightwing with a skeptic look on her face,

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Tim demanded, Tori took a deep breath,

"Well…um…you know how we're from another dimension or world or whatever you want to call it…?" she started, only to get interrupted by Dick walking into the room,

"You do realize you're out of—Little Wing!" he cried, smiling brightly as he launched himself at Jason, a sinister grin on his face, "Aw, wittle brother Jaybird finally made it to the party," he said as he threw an arm around the disgruntled Jason's shoulders and gave him a noogie,

"Ow, Dickface get off!" Jason snapped,

"Aw, but wittle Jacey we mwissed you soooo much!" he continued to noogie him while cackling,  
"Get off!" Jason yelled, he waited a few seconds for him to stop before finally getting fed up and flipping Dick over his shoulder. Dick landed heavily on the stone floor with a loud BANG! Tori, who had been watching with great amusement, looked over at the others with an apologetic expression,

"I can explain this," she said, ignoring Dick's groaning and Jason's snickering, "You must be very confused…and yeah…shocked…but—,"

"—you _died!"_ Tim cried, his outburst silencing Jason's laughing and Dick's groaning as he got to his feet shooting Jason a glare,

"Yes, I fucking died," Jason agreed, a glare in place as he crossed his arms,

"Okay…this is too much…" Nightwing said, putting a hand to his forehead,

"What's going on—?" Cassie started,

 _"Out!"_ Nightwing snapped, causing Cassie to shrink back slightly at the raised voice, "Anyone who is not a partner of Batman out!" he said, this time less sharply. Miss Martian and Cassie shared a glance before exiting the room,

"Keep any others out as well," he called after them before facing Tori, Jason and Dick, "Please do explain how our dead teammate is alive," he said, looking at them gravely. Tori sighed,

"Well…um…how do I explain this?" Tori said. How does one explain why someone who was dead in this world is alive in another?

"You said he _was_ your boyfriend as in past tense…you said that when you and I were talking about him," Robin said, a glare in place and with an accusatory tone,

"You never asked whether he was alive or dead," Tori said, crossing her arms, "And besides I only said 'was' because he wasn't alive here,"

"He was the evidence we told to your Batman when we got here to prove we weren't clones or enemies," Dick added,

"And of course he didn't tell us that," Nightwing said bitterly, "How is any of this even possible. How is _he_ possible,"

"Um…well—," Tori started, only to get interrupted,

"—I woke up, dug out of my grave, wandered around Gotham brain dead for a shit long time, was picked up by the League of Assassins and then tossed in the Lazarus Pit by Talia Al Ghul which rewired my brain," Jason said bluntly, if a bit bitter,

"What do you mean you _woke_ up?" Tim asked, he looked disconcerted and Nightwing just looked like he was staring at a ghost,

"I'm guessing based on your reactions that I'm dead here," Jason added, ignoring Tim,

"Yeah…sorry," Tori said,

"Is it some universal fact that I have die in every universe where I exist?" Jason asked no one in particular, he was trying to make a joke,

"I'm sure there's some place where you don't die," Dick said helpfully, rubbing a sore spot on his back, "And thanks for the judo flip…I was just saying hello to my brother who I haven't seen in a week," Jason rolled his eyes,

"You gave me a noogie…I _hate_ noogies,"

"You use guns?" Nightwing demanded,

"Bruce and I don't exactly see eye to eye nowadays," Jason said with a dark smirk as he moved to retrieve his weapons, "Especially about weapons and lethal force,"

"They get along better than before," Tori inputed,

"Yeah…it's complicated. On the bright side he hasn't tried to kill any of use in a while," Dick said with a pleasant smile, clearly enjoying the others shock a little bit,

 _"What?"_ Tim choked out,

"Dick!" Tori snapped, "Knock it off!"

"What!" he said, raising his hands in surrender,

"The point is, this just happened. We don't know how other than the Lazarus Pit restarted his mind and he found his way back to us…sure he's changed compared to what you know of your Jason…but this isn't your Jason and for all we know something entirely different might happen. It's best to just…not _worry about it,_ " Tori said,

"Not worry about it?" Nightwing exclaimed, "He's alive and there's a possibility that might happen here and you don't want us to worry about it?!"

"Okay, I can see why that would be hard, but think of it this way: if you think about what happened to him and his resurrection and want it to happen but it doesn't happen, you'll feel like it's your fault and try to make his resurrection occur. If it's not meant to happen, don't force it. I know you want him back…if I were in your shoes and I got this kind of information that you just did I would be thinking the same thing, but you can't force things like resurrections. They just happen or don't happen and they aren't predictable," Dick said, looking very serious for the first time since Jason appeared in the Cave,

"I see your point, but this is just too…weird…I-I need some air," Nightwing said, running a hand through his shaggy black hair before disappearing from the room. They all watched him go before Dick spoke,

"I'll go after him," he said, Tim shot him a look, "Hey, I may not be from this world, but who else can calm him down better than himself?" Robin couldn't really argue against that so Dick left the room,

"Sooo, you're my replacement," Jason said, a dark grin on his face,

"Jay, knock it off," Tori said, throwing a glare his way, "Don't torture him, this is really shocking,"

"Oh please, like they haven't had a dead hero come back to life yet?"

"Actually they haven't," Tori said,

"Oh shit, seriously?" Jason asked, Tim was looking at them as if they sprouted two heads,

"Or clones," Tori added,

"Well actually…um…Superboy is a clone," Tim said, "He was created at Cadmus by some scientist named Dr. Desmond," Tori could feel her face pale while Jason let out a rather loud curse, "What…was it something I said?" Tim asked,

"Pull up a photo of him now," Tori snapped, marching over to stand by Robin, Jason moved to stand on her left. Tim shot the two of them a look before complying,

"Do you want the most current or one from five years ago,"

"Does it matter?" Jason almost snarled,

"Yes, it does. He tried one of his experiments on himself and it went badly," Tori let out a snort and crossed her arms,

"If only he did that in our world," she muttered, Tim probably heard her and wondered what that meant, but he didn't say anything,

"I'll pull up an earlier one," was all he said. The moment the picture finally popped up she let her arms drop to her sides,

"It's not him," she whispered, "he doesn't look like him," she could feel her hands start to shake at even the thought of Mac,

"What's his name, his first name?" Jason asked, putting a hand lightly on her shoulder as he spoke. Something that kept her grounded and stopped the panic attack that was working its way up,

"Um…Miles. Why is he of any significance to you?"

"That's none of your business," Jason stated. Tori's head snapped up at an idea,

"Does he have any siblings?" she asked Tim,

"I don't know. I could ask Nightwing—,"

"Don't ask, just hack," Jason interupted,

"But—,"

 _"Do it,_ " Jason snapped,

"Fine…asshole," Tim muttered,

" _What_ was that?"

"Nothing!" Tim said quickly before typing away at the holographic keys, "According to the records we have on him…which are very few actually…he does have a brother,"

"What's his name,"

"Mac," Tori felt like the room was spinning,

"Tori, are you okay?" Jason asked, gripping her shoulder tighter. She shook her head,

"I need to get out of here," she said as she started to leave the area and headed to her room,

 _"Is she okay?"_ Tim asked, she could hear them from the hallway as she stumbled towards her room, _"She looks like she's going to pass out…what does all this mean?"_

 _"I actually don't know…but it's none of your business anyway Replacement,"_ Jason said as he went after her, his footsteps echoing as he made it to the hallway. He took her hand right before she entered her room and held it tight, "I've got you Toria,"

"I know," she said, though she felt that the tone of the answer sounded disembodied…and she felt hallow as if she were an empty shell again. Tori didn't want that, she needed to feel, which is why she pulled Jason into her room and hugged him hard. The tears that had been waiting to fall as soon as she heard Mac's name, finally falling.

* * *

A/N: Okay so hopefully you guys who read both the Short Story and this Story don't hate me...I'll try to get a short story up I promise!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 22

To be honest, Dick didn't really know how to talk to his counterpart. He looked like him, walked like him, talked like him but was in no way at all _him_. Everything was identical…maybe Dick himself was taller than the Nightwing of this world—which he was silently pleased about seeing as everyone made fun of him for being 'short' back home—but they still were freakishly similar, yet at the same time they acted completely different.

Nightwing was more serious. It was a strange fact that a younger version of himself could seem so…old. Dick didn't feel older than this _him_ , if anything he felt younger and more free. He was unburdened while Nightwing had the monkey of leadership on his back and the knowledge that good heroes fall just as easily as they rise. Dick could understand that, in fact he had lived with that monkey perched on his shoulders, holding him down. But that was when he had been Batman and that had only been one year. This him, Nightwing, has never been Batman…nor did it seem he ever will. A part of him envied his doppelgänger for that, he would never face that kind of job or ordeal of being the face that thugs fear in the night. But another part, the more seasoned warrior, knew that the knowledge he gained from his time in the cowl was vital to understand and contributed to who he was at the present. It had been an eyeopening experience that proved to him that he could be Batman…but not the Batman everyone expects, he was a different Batman. One that can invoke fear in the criminals that plague Gotham, but also one that stands apart from the first. His own Bat among the shadows. Nightwing will never have that knowledge, he'll sit and wait wondering and worrying about the day he'll have to take up that cowl and wear it like he was inheriting a throne and a kingdom…slipping into a role he didn't understand or want and unlike Dick, it would be for good.

Dick followed Nightwing to where he had escaped to the top of the mountain, some place high. Another similarity. They sought out high places when they were distraught or upset. The wind whistled and hissed wildly, blowing his hair in every direction possible and the chill bit into his skin like a knife. He ignored it all. Nightwing stood with his back to him staring off into the black night,

"A little cold out here don't you think?" Dick asked. Nightwing stiffened and shoved a device that was in his hand into a pocket on his belt before turning to face him,

"This is the only place I can think," he said, before sighing and sitting down on a large rock poking out of the mountain, "I wasn't there," was all he said after a moment of silence, yet a blustering wind. Dick moved to sit next to him. The drop was dreadful with jutting rocks out by the bottom. The ocean crashed against them violently…not exactly fun to look at…but it was high and filled with fresh air, it didn't matter to either of them,

"I wasn't either," he replied, not needing to know what he was talking about. Nightwing looked at him in shock, squinting his eyes through his mask that he never took off it seemed. Dick had ditched his days ago. No one complained but Nightwing still glared at him for it ever so often,

"And he still forgave you?" he asked shocked. Dick let out a laugh,

"Jason never forgives anyone…except maybe Tori, he always makes exceptions for Tori,"

"And yet you're…close?" Dick tried not to roll his eyes. He didn't get it, none of these bats here got it,

"There's nothing to forgive. Yes, I wasn't there when he died and maybe I should have…but that's in the past. A place he never wants to look, and neither do I. The past sucked…well a lot of it at least…I don't want to remember what a horrible un-supportive person I was back then because that isn't who I am now. I'm there for Jason and Tim and Tori now. There's no need for forgiveness if you are there for them when they need you at the present or in the future—even if they don't want you to be," _and I'm there for Damian…but he doesn't exist here as far as we know_ Dick thought to himself,

"He uses guns,"

"He has no qualms with them, he can do what he wants. He's a grown man. Twenty-one. We can't make him change his ways…hell we've tried…but—I guess you can say he was…damaged by what happened to him. If it helps he doesn't kill as often as he used to,"

"Our Batman would never let our Jason use guns. Ever. He'd lock him up," Dick shrugged,

"Ours has threatened to do that numerous times, it was an empty threat but Jason stopped mainly killing which seemed to be a compromise for them. Your Batman is very, very different than ours,"

"What, does he go around shooting people too?" Nightwing snapped,

"No. He doesn't. He's not _that_ different,"

"Then how is he different?"

"He's more of a father," Dick said,

"Adopting you all doesn't make you a family," Nightwing said, somewhat bitterly,

"Well, he didn't adopt Tori…but that's a whole other complicated story. But the point I was making is that we _are_ a family. Even though we're all adopted with different backgrounds we are a family. That's the reason we are so close, even after everything we've been through, after Jason's death and many other countless shitty things that have happened since then, we're a family,"

"We are a family," Nightwing insisted, "though sometimes it doesn't seem like we are...Jason's death changed that...everything changed. It used to be different,"

"You don't see yourselves as a family. That's what's wrong. That's your problem. You only see yourselves as partners and friends. Not siblings. Jason's death didn't do that, you did that yourselves. Jason's my brother, Tim's my brother, Tori's my cousin, Barbara's my wife—yeah, I know…surprise! _Not_ —Alfred's my grandfather.

"Blood makes you relatives, _loyalty_ makes you family. If you stand by them in spirit, mind, and body through anything that comes your way—and there will be a lot that comes your way—you'll become closer through it as long as you remember that while you have left Bruce's shadow, you are still his _son_ you are still a part of his _family_. And that makes you Jason's family too…and Tim's. I don't know if you're upset because he's back for us but not for you or the fact that you weren't there when he died and are ashamed because of it…but just remember that you are family and because of that, you will always be there for them and they will be there for you,"

"I hope you're right…for when Jason comes back,"

"I don't know if he will—," Dick started,

"—he will," Nightwing interrupted, "I know he will. I can feel it," Dick smiled and clapped him on the shoulder,

"There you go, thinking like an older brother already." He said cheerily. All he got was a glare before Nightwing got up and left the peak. A few moments later Dick pulled out the device that Nightwing had pocketed and tossed it up and down in his hand, wondering if Tori and Jason were done making out or whatever they were doing so they could figure out what it was and return it before the Team's fearless leader noticed it was gone.

Something was up…something everyone on this Team was oblivious to and something that Nightwing didn't want anyone, even dimension travelers, knowing about.

* * *

A/N: Hmm, wonder who he was talking to? What is this Nightwing up to? Find out sometime later in this story but also tune in next time!

REVIEW!

Next chapter next Monday! Keep reading!


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 23

"Are you okay?" Jason asked Tori. They lay on the bed, Tori curled up to his side, tears dried on her face with him raking a hand gently through her hair. They stared up at the rocky ceiling, bland and bleak above them,

"Yeah," she said breezily. She felt embarrassed for crying…but the news was unexpected. Mac Desmond had a brother Miles Desmond that lived in this world. Or maybe it was the other way around, Mac Desmond lived on their world…but it was not his home world. That's why there was nothing on him back home. He simply didn't exist there. Neither Desmond existed in that world…which raised the question, why was he sent there? Was he even sent there and if so by whom? Was he working for someone? His brother? Alone? So many questions surfaced in her mind that she forced herself to curl into an even tighter ball and bury her face in Jason's side, biting her lip while she did so. She tried to take calming breaths…but those proved ineffective and only indicated her predicament,

"No you're not," Jason said, using his other hand to brush flyaway hair from what was visible of her face, "How could you be,"

"The trial Jason," she croaked, "We need to get this information to them somehow…I need to make it," she pushed herself up from her curled ball position by her hands, panic etched on her face,

"That isn't for awhile Tori," Jason said, putting a hand on her shoulder with his thumb gently tracing circles in a comforting gesture, "Calm down. Just relax for a while…you were just handed a lot of surprising information," Tori wasn't really listening,

"What if it's happening here?" she hissed, eyes wide,

"Tori," Jason said simply, tickling her side, "relax," Tori flinched away from his tickle and glared at him,  
"How can I relax when—oof!" Jason flipped over, pinning her under him. She glared up at him, her knees pressed to her chest which should have been uncomfortable for the both of them, but really wasn't quite that bad,

"I will make you relax," Jason said in a very calm and decisive tone,

"Jason, we need to talk to Nightwing or Tim or—haha!" she exclaimed, as Jason started kissing her neck and collar bone and cheeks. Light and quick, "Stop…we need informa—ah, haha!" she couldn't help but smile and laugh at his frantic kisses, they were distracting. He pulled back slightly and smirked down at her,  
"Well, I see a smile," he said, "let's see if I can make you laugh,"

"No," Tori said simply glaring at him again…she knew what he was going to do…he only smirked, "I will knee you in the nuts," she said,

"Too late," he crowed as he pressed his lips to her collar bone again and blew a raspberry. She flinched with a tremendous screech of a laugh, nearly bucking Jason off of her—which she wouldn't have minded, he deserved it—while he snickered. She hated raspberries…and he knew that. She glared at him again,

"Oh come on," Jason said, smiling down at her, "Don't be mad," he pressed his forehead lightly against her's. Their faces were very close, pretty much nose to nose and at this closeness his eyes looked like a cyclops's eye. She couldn't help but smile at him,

"Do you know what butterfly kisses are?" she asked randomly, suddenly thinking of them in the moment. Jason raised a questioning eyebrow before rubbing his nose against her's. Tori chuckled, "No, those are dragonfly kisses," Jason rolled his eyes,

"then what are they?"

"This," she said, raising her head to blink her eyelashes against his,

"This is a really stupid type of kiss," he said, "I prefer this kind," kissing her full on the mouth. He only pulled back when Tori shifted her legs so they weren't crammed right up to her chest and moved for another kiss when his stomach let out a tremendous roar. Tori laughed,

"I think you're hungry," she said,

"Nope, I can manage," he said, moving to kiss her again…only to stop by the sound of his stomach rumbling again,

"Okay I'm starving," Jason admitted, rolling off her,

"Let's find some food," Tori agreed, "What time was it back home?"

"Two-ish…in the morning...wasn't really keeping track of time." Jason said as they left Tori's room for the kitchen.

* * *

Tori rummaged through the kitchen, trying to find something for Jason to eat. It was too early for him to have breakfast, so he'll have to settle for a snack…but at the same time it was only ten where they were now so he could have a desert or some sort of late night snack…but knowing Jason he'd want a full course meal because he could eat anything and probably would attempt to eat anything. Tori was also unsure whether to bring him something large because she had been eating a lot of food in the Cave. Part of being a regenerative assassin was eating enough so that she had the energy to regenerate bones, skin, blood cells, veins, etc. The Electrum in her blood allowed her to not feel pain and slowed her aging but she needed the energy supplied by food to activate any healing factor. Tori did not eat as much as a speedster, but she ate somewhat more than a regular human.

Tori remembered from her time on Founder's Island the large tables in a grand hall-like room filled with an assortment of fancy food. All of it ranging from different types of bread, vegetables, meats and fruits to exquisite deserts and finger foods. The nationality of the food changed every week as well. She never knew where they got their food supplies or who cooked the meals…but Tori ate well with the Talons, as crazy as it may seem. Her time in captivity also taught her to value the food she had in front of her…she remembered not having any for a long time and craving it for every second.

She opted for a sandwich. It was easy and Jason would eat it. He'd eat anything that had bread in it. Croissants, rye, sourdough, pita, Naan…though he didn't really like donuts oddly enough. Tim loved them, now that she thought about it maybe that's why Jason didn't like them. Shrugging to herself she started making the sandwich. Tori walked in on Jason being bombarded with questions by the various team members that were at the Mountain still,

"—And you're from the world Dick and Tori are from?" Cassie was asking,

"Yes," Jason said, he was sitting on one of the many green sofas. Tori took a seat next to him and handed him the plate, "thanks,"

"How long have you two known each other?" Blue Beetle…Jaime…asked,

"Since I was ten," Tori said, smiling a little at the memory,

"And you're dating?" Cassie practically sing-songed,

"Yes," Jason and Tori replied as one, and giving a synchronized eye roll as well,

"That is so cute!"

"Our Nightwing is married, do you not think that is cute?" Jason asked, "He's known her since he became Robin too," Tori elbowed him and shook her head. Say too much and he might make them start guessing as to who Nightwing would have known while he was Robin. That would complicate things,

"Want a drink?" Jason nodded, the 'please' he gave muffled by food. Rolling her eyes Tori went back to the kitchen, returning and taking the plate. Sure, Jason could do this all by himself just fine, but she felt the need to do something. She felt helpless about the whole situation they were in and doing this would be something more than just sitting around talking.

Tori stopped cleaning the plate for a second and leaned against the counter top. Wondering if she could slip away to find Dick and tell him what she and Jason had learned while he was 'cheering up' Nightwing McFrownyPants when she heard a snippet of one of Garfield's questions,

"Didn't you die—?" Tori internally groaned. Gar was young, old enough to be a hero but young enough not to have much of a filter when it came to personal questions, "What do you remember? How are you even here? Did you run away when you came back? Why did you do that? Where did you live? What did it feel like and—?" he didn't get to finish his questions as Tori hurried into the living room at the same moment the glass in Jason's hand shattered. A stunned silence followed as Jason stared at Garfield with a dark and angered glare. Miss Martian even took a step towards her surrogate brother and pulled him back slightly, scolding him quietly as she did so. Tori briefly thought Gar was going to have to turn into a bear or something to defend himself from Jason's attack. But he just sat there in a silent rage,

"ohhkay, let's go back to the room and get some sleep. It's been a very tiring day and we are just not ourselves right now. Goodnight everyone," Tori said, smiling and grabbing Jason by the arm. Ignoring the mess Cassie had smartly gone to get a broom for and just pulling Jason out of the room. They had almost entered when Dick stopped them in the hallway,

"We need to talk," he said,

"What is it?" Tori asked, her arm still firmly on Jason's upper arm. He tugged it out of her grip,

"I can walk on my own," he nearly snapped. _Great, he's grumpy_ she thought with frown,

"What is it?" Dick looked down both ends of the hallway before tugging them into Tori's room,

"I took this from Nightwing's pocket," Dick said, holding up a flat and square device, "I think it's a communicator,"

"So? We have those," Jason said with a shrug,

"Yeah, but not ones that are password protected and encrypted,"

"Does he know it's gone?" Tori asked,

"Not yet. I'll drop it somewhere where he'll be the first to find it,"

"What does this mean?"

"I'm not sure yet,"

"But we'll find out. It's what we're good at isn't it?" Jason said with another shrug, "I'm going to bed," with that he face planted into the pillows,

"What's with him?"

"Nosy questions,"

"Hm," Dick said with a shake of the head, "Anything else suspicious or interesting discovered tonight?" Tori thought about what they had learned before deciding to wait till after she slept to discuss Mac,

"I'll tell you in the morning. It's too late and I'm too tired," Dick raised his eyebrows in question but didn't press,

"'Night," he said simply,

"'Night," Jason said, his voice muffled by pillows,

"'Night," Tori replied as well before flopping down on the bed next to Jason.

* * *

A/N: Kids can be brutally honest because they don't really know better, and they also ask a lot of questions. Garfield is still pretty much a kid despite being a hero.

REMEMBER TO REVIEW!

Next chapter next monday!

Feel free to PM me about any questions!


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: I'm getting a little worried...I may be having a slight writer's block...don't worry though I still have things to post up to chapter 30 at least, but still that's only six chapters. It's just I'm trying to use the Young Justice plot without that being the center of the story. I need to think about what I'm writing. If my block gets any worse I'll let you know, but I intend to finish what I have in mind and this story. I'm not stopping, it's just going slower than I'd like.

Anyway, next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 24

Tori woke in the middle of the night because something nudged her in the back. She groaned softly and turned on her side, only to be kicked. She groaned louder and shuffled away from the kicker until she heard a sound. It sounded like a cry of pain. Tori shot up into a sitting position and looked around the dark room, trying to find any intruders…but there weren't any. Looking to her left she saw Jason, thrashing around in his sleep and mumbling under his breath,

"Stop… _stop_ ," before letting out a small cry of pain. Tori knew he was having a nightmare, she could see his eyes darting under his lids and she didn't need to guess to know what it was of. Tori moved to his side of the bed and nudged his shoulder, narrowly avoiding a flailing arm,

"Jason, wake up," she said softly. He only squirmed more as if trying to get away from her, "Jason. Wake up!" she said louder and shoving his shoulder harder. He still wouldn't wake and she was starting to worry slightly, was it normal to not wake up from a dream? Tori frowned, there was no way Jason was reliving what happened to him on her watch. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him,

"Jason. _Wake up!"_ she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the room. Jason's eyes snapped open, wide and filled with shock and fear, before he lurched to a sitting position turned and vomited over the edge of the bed. She could hear him panted as he sat on the edge of the bed, his hands clutching the edge of the bed. Tori wordlessly got up to get something to clean the mess,

"I got it," he said roughly, though he made no move to get up,

"I'll get it," Tori said, "You relax and calm down." Tori quickly and silently got a mop and some rags to clean the mess. It didn't take long to clean. All the while Jason remained seated at the edge, not moving, his eyes set on the stone floor. Tori knew he felt embarrassed. She understood the feeling well, she hated to be waken up by a dream…to be afraid of a dream that felt as real as if she were living it. After she put the supplies back she sat down on her side of the bed, wondering if she should try and comfort him.

While Jason had comforted her numerous times throughout the past two years after she woke from her nightmares, Jason hadn't had nightmares that required comfort…at least not when Tori was present. She didn't know how to comfort him or if he needed her to or if he wanted her to and she's never been in the situation where she had to comfort him before. Jason had gone through these nightmares on his own for a very long time, he might not appreciate someone trying to comfort him after so long of doing just that on his own.

Even so she eventually slid closer to where he sat, silent and still. He made no movement or even recognized that she had moved closer,

"Jason?" she asked, he didn't look up or say anything. Tori bit her lip before frowning in grim determination. Tori wasn't afraid of Jason, she was afraid all he thought was that he was alone in this moment because he wasn't. She needed to prove to him that she was there for him no matter what. She moved even closer and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, resting her chin on his right shoulder,

"Jason," she said, "It's okay,"

"Not it's not," he growled angrily, "it's been six years and I still wake up scared and weak," Tori sighed,

"You are not weak,"

"Tell that to the floor,"

"It's not uncommon for people with traumatic pasts to have dreams like yours and to do just that when they wake up," Tori said, "It is not a weakness," she could still feel his pulse and heartbeat, fast as butterfly wings, under her arms and hands,

"Remember how I would wake up from my nightmares. Shivering with fright and so skittish that you couldn't even touch me for a minute or two?" Jason nodded silently, "Do you know how I felt afterwards, when I was fully awake and aware of my surroundings? I felt furious with myself, and embarrassed and I felt weak too," her stomach twisted in knots just thinking about those first few months when the nightmares came for the first time since she'd become a Talon, she even got like that now after a particularly bad nightmare,

"You were strong for me," Tori continued, "I know you knew exactly how I felt and yet you were determined to be strong for me. You comforted me, so I'm being strong for you. I'm comforting you. When I'm weak, you're strong for me and when you're weak I'll be strong for you that way we can find the courage to be strong again together," Jason took a deep breath before slowly reaching for her hands. Tori was concerned he was going to shake her off and stomp off somewhere else for the rest of the night, but he only took her hands in his and planted a kiss on them before letting them rest right over his beating heart. It was beating slower now, though there were still spurts of rapid fluttering from time to time…it was slowly but steadily returning to its normal pace,

"What about when we're both weak?" Jason asked,

"Then we'll find our courage in each other. We may get lost, but we'll find ourselves in each other. I know you'll be there for me through the pretty and the messy…and I'll be there for you. You're not alone anymore Jason, you were never really alone, and I'll always be there for you," Jason smiled, it was small and wavered slightly, but it was there. He took another deep breath before pulling out of her embrace to look her in the eye,

"I don't think I'll be able to go to sleep again," he confessed, Tori smiled kindly at him,

"Then we'll talk until we fall asleep," she said, laying back down on the pillows, "Come here, use me as a pillow," she patted her stomach. Jason rolled his eyes but obliged, knowing she'd keep saying that until he did. They lay like that for a few moments. Tori ran a hand through his hair, messing it up and flattening it down before repeating the whole process,

"You're stomach's making really weird noises," Jason murmured, his eyes were closed,

"I'm digesting," Tori said to her stomach's defense, "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know,"

"Hm, how about how annoying everyone's being by asking me what my major is,"

"That seems boring,"

"Says Mr. I don't exist so I can't go to college,"

"Actually I am taking college courses online…when I can,"

"Really!?" Tori asked, "I thought you had no interest in college or education in general,"

"I guess I was just thinking of the future…I dunno, I figured it was a good idea,"

"Of course it's a good idea," Tori said, "What are you going to major in?"

"I don't know either,"

"What job would you want?"

"I dunno,"

"Hmm, mechanic? You like motorcycles,"

"Nah, I may be good at fixing them and I like riding them but I wouldn't want that to make a living,"

"Gym teacher,"

"No,"

"But you love bossing people around!"

"No,"

"You're mean enough for it,"

"No," Tori chuckled before drumming her fingers on Jason's head,

"Hmm…doctor? You fixed up Liam very well. The scar's super tiny too,"

"I don't think I can become a doctor with an online degree…I'd need to go to medical school,"

"I was thinking more along the lines of helping Leslie in the Clinic or maybe at a Pharmacy,"

"Wow, think of all the painkillers I could sneak home. Dick and Tim would love me," Tori let out a laugh,

"I think they keep a very close eye on the inventory of pain killers," she said, still chuckling,

"What do you think you'll do in the future?" Jason asked,

"I don't have a particular job I'd want and even if I did I still haven't declared a major,"

"You don't have to major in the field that your desired job's in," Jason said,

"It's helpful,"

"What about later. Would you be living in Crowne Manor?"

"Perhaps," Tori said, "Would you be living there with me?"

"Perhaps," Jason said with a grin. They sat in silence before Tori started to grin,

"I want to say something…but I don't think you'll like it,"

"What?" Jason asked, "You have to say it now that you mentioned it,"

"I think…that we should name our first child Sweeney,"

"What?" Jason exclaimed, blinking up at her tiredly, "What made you think of that?"

"Sweeney Todd!" Tori said gleefully. Jason glared at her,

"We're not naming our hypothetical kid Sweeney Todd,"

"The demon barber of Fleet Street!" Tori sang, "He could open a barbershop—,"

"—no—,"

"—and we could open a bakery right next-door—,"

"— _no_ —,"

"—and bake pies!" Tori said with a mischievous grin,

"We are not putting people into pies," Jason said firmly

"It would only be the bad guys," Tori said, crossing her arms. Jason raised his head and stared at her with a straight face for about two seconds before laughing,

"Killer Croc would love them," Tori said as Jason continued laughing,

"—but seriously Toria…we're not doing that," he said sobering at last, and letting his head drop back down,

"Duh," Tori said with an eye roll, "it was just a random thought" Jason shifted slightly, his head still on her stomach,

"I can hear your heartbeat,"

"In my stomach?"

"It's close to your heart,"

"I think—,"

"—no…don't think, your last thought was horrifying,"

"I think…" Tori started again, "that our first kid should look just like you,"

"Nah, your eyes," Jason responded immediately, "Just to freak everyone out. Mini Jason Todd, Grayson's eyes. It would be confusing as hell when Goldie has kids,"

"Which will be in seven months," Tori said,

"Shit really?"

"Yeah,"

"Now that's just adding pressure on the rest of us. Soon Bruce is going to be asking 'why aren't you married yet? When am I gonna get more grandchildren!'" Jason said mimicking an old man voice. Tori laughed,

"I don't think we'll have to worry about that with Bruce," she yawned and Jason yawned back, "I'd rather the kid have your eyes though. Mine are boring, yours are unique,"

"I disagree," Jason said, shifting slightly and taking her hand to play with her fingers absentmindedly. They stayed up for another half-hour talking before they both fell asleep, hands clasped together.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I confess, maybe the ending was a bit OC-ish for Jason...my bad...I thought it was cute. I thought the Sweeney Todd thing was super funny! Huh? Huh? :)

PLEASE REVIEW! I miss your comments!

Next chapter on Monday and I will keep you updated on my slight writer's block! Short Story tomorrow!


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Okay, so my writer's block isn't that bad. It's just I've been thinking about an idea for a new story and since I started focusing on that story I hadn't been thinking about the one I'm currently working on. I've put a pin in the new story and I am back to focusing only on _Things to Resolve_. BUT, after TTR is finished I may take a little time off before I start the next segment of the Tori arc (if there is one...) and start the new story that I just started to think of, which I hope you will all try. I have to see if it's a viable story though-one that I will finish-I'll let you all know once TTR is done. I promise!

That said, next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 25

"This isn't fair," Jason said grumpily off to Tori's left. Tori rolled her eyes under her blindfold,

"It's not our fault you rely mostly on your guns," Dick said, from Tori's right. They were sparring in the main room, with the light up platform. The rest of the team was training in the main training room where Tori and Dick usually trained. Tori heard a whistle off to her right and brought her sword up to block while raising her knife to block Jason's bo staff half a second later,

"I barely use this crappy weapon," he muttered as the clack echoed loudly in the empty room. Tori whirled away from Dick's follow up attack and kicked out at Jason, who leapt away and blocked Dick's eskirma stick,

"You should really incorporate more weapons into your skill set," Dick said, lunging towards Tori, she heard him step before he made his move. She sidestepped and slammed her sword down on top of the sticks, making Dick grunt in surprise,

"Down tiger," he said, "Nearly took my fingers,"

"They're blunted by tape," Tori said, ducking under Jason's bo staff and slashing with both her weapons in the shape of an X at him,

"And she nearly took my nose off," Jason said,

"Really violent today isn't she?" Dick said, as his and Jason's stick clacked against one another, "You need to blunt them more," Tori sent a kick to the back of Dick's knee, causing it to buckle while kicking at Jason's bo staff. Due to the warning from her first attack Jason managed to avoid the kick by stepping back and also avoid Tori's blunted blade by an inch and using the bottom end of his bo staff to smack Tori in the stomach,

"Hey! I just ate!" Tori snapped,

"That's for my nose," he said, Tori let out an annoyed groan and rolled her eyes,

"Not letting up is she?" Dick asked, moving to attack again by the sound of the air whistling again,

"Not in the slightest," Tori stated, stepping out of the way of Dick's attack which slammed into Jason's side instead,

"Ow! Damnit Dick! I already bruised those!"

"Sorry! She moved!"

"Maybe if you stopped talking you wouldn't be losing," Tori said, twirling her dagger in her hand. Jason may have started to make a comment but his phone, which they were using as a timer, buzzed,

"Switch," they all said at the same time. They tossed their weapons into the air and slightly to the left, catching the new weapons as they landed. Tori spun the eskirma sticks in her hands a few times, getting a feel for them after such a long time not using them. She could hear the bo staff swishing through the air as Dick tested it out,

"Geez, no wonder you were having trouble. This thing isn't balanced whatsoever,"

"I know right?" Jason said, lunging forward to stab at Dick,

"Whoa!" Tori heard Dick cry. There was a clunk of metal on wood followed by a zapping sound of electricity,

"Ow! Fuck you!" Jason cried,

"This is electric?" Dick cried, she could almost see the gleeful grin alight his face in his voice, " _I love this staff!"_

"You won't love it when I'm through breaking it!" Jason snarled dropping the swords with a clatter and launching himself at Dick, by the sound of it. They fought just the two of them for a while. Tori rolled her eyes and shoved the eskirma sticks under her arms to pick at her nails while they tussled. Only when they were getting particularly aggressive and on the verge of real injury did she step in,

"This is training, not maiming. Let's get back to work," Tori said, stepping forward and turning on the electric setting for the eskirma sticks. She waited to hear an opening in their fight before stepping forward and smacking them both under their armpits,

 _"OW!"_ they both cried,

"Look alive boys," Tori said sweetly, "we're training not rolling around on the floor like pigs." The first attack came from Jason, she deftly blocked and returned with her own set of moves. Trying to move as fast as possible, Jason was the best with swords and daggers. His skill was on par with Damian's and Tori's though all their techniques were different. Dick seemed to be keeping his distance or maybe Jason kneed him in the nuts during their fight and he needed a breather before stepping in again. Only right as it happened did Tori realize he was just waiting for an opportunity. The air whistled to her right and she barely brought her arm up to block it only she blocked the staff with her forearm, not her eskirma stick. Electricity zapped and Tori's arm buckled by the force of the blow. But as usual she felt nothing, only annoyance as her arm bucked. Her body still reacted to an injury, she just didn't feel it and the injury usually healed quickly,

"Ow!" She said. Tori could hear Dick and Jason pause,

"Did that actually hurt?" Dick asked in a low concerned whisper,

"No," Tori answered tersely and quietly, "we have an audience." She could hear the heartbeats of two people by the back end of the room. Tori nor Dick or Jason could see them due to their blindfolds, but Tori could hear them. It was Nightwing and Superboy. She could tell by the heartbeats. Kryptonian heartbeats were faster than human heartbeats, regular human beings' heartbeats were similar while a Talon's heartbeat was much slower than the other two,

"Let's call time," Dick said, before pulling off his blindfold. Tori and Jason doing the same. He turned to face Nightwing and Superboy, "What do you think of our game?" Dick was sporting a slight bruise on his jaw and he was wringing his wrist as if it hurt. Jason was mournfully poking and prodding at his side while his nose ran bloody,

"Jesus, how hard did you hit each other?" Tori asked, handing her blindfold to Jason, who took it gratefully and used it to dab at his nose,

"It looked like you two were trying to tear each other apart," Superboy said,

"Naw, it's all part of the game," Dick said,

"He made it up after he became Nightwing," Tori said, "been using if for training ever since,"

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Jason asked, "Aren't you supposed to be training the whelps in the training room?"

"We came to talk," Nightwing said, "We know very little about you and your world. We think it's time we told you what's been going on here as of late and you tell us what's really going on for you guys," Tori raised an eyebrow,

"We told Batman almost everything," she said, crossing her arms,

" _Almost_ everything," Nightwing said, "There are things you didn't tell him and I'm sure there's more to whatever you told him. Our lot don't exactly trust very easily do we?" Tori couldn't disagree with that,

"What didn't we tell you. We told you how we got here," Dick stated,

"You never mentioned a name," Nightwing said, "Tim said you reacted…quite furiously…to the name Mac Desmond. Brother to a scientist from our world,"

"That's news to me," Dick said, looking over at Tori with an incredulous look on his face,

"I was going to tell you. I promise. I didn't want to say it right before I went to sleep," Tori said, "We only just discovered it and in the presence of someone I thought would keep it confidential," she frowned as she said that while giving a slight glare in Nightwing's direction,

"That's besides the point," Nightwing said, "What is a scientist from here doing in your world?"

"We don't know," Tori said, "All we know is that kids had been disappearing in our world. They'd turn up either dead or not at all. It was only two years ago when we really discovered who was behind it all—,"

"—Mac," Dick supplied for her, "We got him in custody but lost the kids along the way. They were given superhuman abilities and had their memories of their lives before the Lab erased. They have no idea who they are or who their family was. They're out there alone with powers and no clue what to do. On top of that there appears to be no way to remove the chips without killing the children in the process…though we are trying to find a solution. Out of the fifty that were successful we only found five,"

"How do you know all of this? Did he confess?" Nightwing asked,

"You could just say we had intel from an insider," Jason monotoned,

"A _trustworthy_ insider?" Superboy asked, "Traitors leap out from the least expected places,"

"Trust us when we say it was a trustworthy source,"

"How did he even manage to wipe their memories?"

"He had a machine," Tori said, her arms were crossed, "A clear glass tube hooked up to a series of monitors and computers,"

"…And how would you know that?" Nightwing asked, Tori let out a sigh and saw Dick open his mouth, probably to say she didn't have to tell them anything. But she felt that it was time for them to know at least a little something about her mission and how it brought them to their world. After all she didn't exist here, knowing something about her may make them trust her more,

"Because _I_ was one of the abductees and _I_ was the insider. _I_ was one of Mac's super soldiers," Tori could hear Nightwing's teeth grind as he tensed his jaw, anger in his facial expression, Superboy's eyes narrowed,

"You never showed any sign of having enhanced abilities…" Superboy started,

"I lost them…the chip was removed," Tori said shortly,

"I thought that wasn't possible," Nightwing stated,

"I was one of the outliers," Tori said evasively. They weren't ever going to know of the Court of Owls or of the Talons that served them. Not ever,

"…And your memories?" he asked quietly,

"I got them back…I still have—hidden memories. Things that will probably be forever forgotten…like I don't remember how I escaped or how I ended up where they found me and some other things. But I remembered the most important aspects of my life…and my imprisonment," Tori said, looking away from their stares and feeling Jason's hand on her shoulder,

"We found another one the night we appeared here. He could teleport…I—we…believe that it's his ability that's allowing travel between our world and yours," Dick said, switching the focus of the conversation,

"We don't exactly know how he's seen this world before…but we'll have to get home to get those answers. No one else knows about that kid," Tori said, after a momentary pause,

"Do you mean Adam?" Jason asked. Dick and Tori whirled to face him,

"You know the kid's name?"

"Yeah, he's a friend of Tim's," Jason said with a shrug, "He's how I got here too,"

"Then where is he? Can't he get us out of here?"

"Well…um…I might have scared him a bit…so I'm guessing there was an issue in trying to get us back because of that,"

"Ugggh, Jason," Dick said pinching the bridge of his nose,

"Shut up," Jason snapped,

"That is along the lines of what's happening here," Nightwing said, interrupting whatever Dick was going to say, "Teens have been disappearing as well. Batgirl found a few of them during their mission to Bialya…we have reason to believe that there are more. We're searching for them but we have no leads…maybe they're connected somehow?"

"Is Miles Desmond behind this?" Tori asked,

"We don't know. But we have reason to believe his old work and the product of his work with another's is involved with this whole issue," Superboy said, "Mammoth and Psimon were both in Bialya, as well as Shimmer. Both Shimmer and Mammoth were involved with several projects of Desmond's work in the past, the latter being a product of said work combination,"

"They've all been a problem for us since the Team first formed," Nightwing added, "Miles was the first villain we faced, and he's away for good…but his experiment—his evil nasty one, Mammoth—is still out there working for our enemies,"

"And the Leaguers who are on Rimbor?" Dick asked, "We know about that, but we don't know why they had to be sent there. If you're serious about being honest, you'd tell us," Nightwing sighed,

"Five years ago Vandal Savage took complete mental control of the entire Justice League,"

 _"What?"_ Dick cried,

"Whoa…that's impressive," Tori said with grudging respect, "…sorry," she added, feeling slightly guilty for said respect and because of the looks they all gave her,

"How did he manage that?" Jason asked,

"There…was a…traitor among us," Nightwing said, suddenly looking uncomfortable, "A friend,"

"Who?" Tori asked,

"Roy Harper," Superboy said,

 _"Roy?_ Okay, yeah right. Roy Harper? He couldn't hold a grudge for a week," Jason said, laughing a little, "Him in his trucker hat wrecking havoc on the Justice League from the inside? He wouldn't go that far," Superboy and Nightwing just gave him a blank stare, "Really? _Damn_ ,"

"He was not aware of what he was doing," Nightwing said, a bit defensively,

"He was being mind controlled too?"

"Not exactly…he wasn't even the real Roy Harper…he was a clone,"

 _"What?"_ all three of the listeners exclaimed,

"Then where's the real Harper?" Jason snarled, glaring at them,

"We don't know…we…assume he's…dead,"

"You _assume?"_ Jason spat, "He's not dead until there's a _body_. You stopped looking didn't you?" Nightwing and Superboy just looked guilty, "You piece of—,"

"—Jason," Tori said, putting a hand on his arm, "I'm sure they feel bad enough about the whole 're only making it worse. It's obvious you and your teammates rescued the League," Jason didn't rip his arm out of her grip, but he did let out a small snarl while glaring darkly at Nightwing and Superboy,

"Not before some damage was done. They were sent into outer space and destroyed multiple cities on Rimbor,"

"Hence the trial," Dick guessed, Nightwing nodded,

"They don't remember anything of what happened while they were gone. They're missing sixteen hours," Tori brought a hand to her chin,

"Sixteen hours…hmm. I can only _assume_ one thing for at least a bit of Batman's missing time,"

"What's that?" Dick asked,

"Welllll…think about it. Small, attitude issues, wears a Robin suit presently," Dick looked confused before realizing what she was implying. He then did some obvious mental math,

"Shit…you're probably right," Dick said,

"What?" Jason asked,

"alttuyur shaytan," Tori said in Arabic(Demon Bird),

"Oh," was all he said, though he did roll his eyes,

"What are you guys talking about?" Superboy asked,

"Nothing!" they all cried,

"Okay…that being said…I hope this puts us on better terms," Nightwing said, "We may need your help later…if you are still here with us that is and willing to assist,"

"We'll definitely be ready to help," Tori said, "Afterall, there may be a connection between our two issues,"

"Great…now I have a mission briefing so you guys need to scram,"

"Oh…uh…is Artemis coming here today?" Tori asked, suddenly feeling uneasy,

"Artemis is coming here? As in Artemis _Crock?"_ Dick asked, Tori nodded, "That's…uh…great," he too knew of her fate in their world, as did Jason. He just stared angrily at the floor,

"Just be careful out there you big idiot," he said, "Keep each other _safe_ ," Nightwing gave a small smile, one that wavered slightly at the end,

"It's what we do," with that the three left to take showers. As they walked down the hallway they could hear the announcement of Artemis's return to the Cave, as well as the exclamations of welcome from old friends and teammates. Jason's frowned deepened,

"I have a bad feeling about this," he said grimly, echoing Tori's statement to the hologram of him in the cave. The parallelism left chills along Tori's spine. Dick and Tori didn't say anything. They didn't need to. If Jason's fate was sealed even in this world, who's to say Artemis's wasn't as well…and yet at the same time Tori had been taught that fate wasn't never written in stone but she still felt powerless to change what happens next. Not that she didn't want to, it's just that she didn't know _how_.

Half-way to their rooms Dick stopped in the hall. He wore a frown on his face and twirled an eskirma stick in his hand thoughtfully,

"It's interesting," he started, "How we did all the talking, and they only explained a small portion of their tale to us. They only mentioned something that happened five years ago. We know nothing of what is happening presently other than a few kids are missing and it may relate to something that happened in the past,"

"Yeah, that and Nightwing never mentioned the encrypted communication device," Tori said,

"He's definitely hiding something…and the most interesting thing is, I don't think even Superboy knows what it is," Jason said, "I don't think anyone else on this team is aware their leader is lying to them,"

"I think this Nightwing is in the middle of something big," Tori said in agreement,

"And I think we definitely need to find out what it is," Dick said.

* * *

A/N: Still some missing information that Tori, Dick and Jason are keeping from Nightwing as well as some stuff they don't even know about yet. Of course they are still suspicious of Nightwing and his secrets. Many things to be revealed. Many more chapters and many more secrets to be known. Stay tuned and please please please

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Short story tomorrow and next chapter on Monday!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 26

Liam was daydreaming. He couldn't help it. It had been a week since Tori and Dick disappeared and he hadn't heard anything from Tim about it. He had been hard at work trying….keyword trying…to crack the encrypted coded emails on Grant's computer and trying to back track through security footage Tim pulled up to find out what happened to Dick and Tori, but there was no good angle to see where they went after the car jacking. No matter how many times he poured over the footage, there was no indication on what happened or where they went. Jason, who had come back a day ago about…maybe…Liam hadn't really been paying attention to when he actually arrived. It could've been earlier or later…he didn't know. He came to help search Gotham with Tim and Damian. Bruce and Stephanie were usually out on regular patrols. Since both Dick and Tori were missing, the rest searching and Barbara not able to go on patrol, they were stretched dangerously thin which was why on some nights they couldn't search and on others they could.

Liam was also extremely tired. He'd gotten more sleep during finals week than he did the past six days or was it seven now? He couldn't remember, he lost count. Not only that but his co-worker was very distracting. Her name was Nadya Pennerson and he may have a bit of a crush on her…okay…a big crush on her. She was just so nice and pretty… _very_ pretty. He couldn't help it, a grinned formed every time he thought of her light grey eyes, brilliant smile and light brown hair. She was tall, like him, and loved to run. Basically perfect to him in every way…but of course she was clueless and his search for his missing sister was more important than his love life. _Wasn't it?_ Liam thought to himself as he risked a glance back at Nadya as she put together a customers order. She did this adorable thing where she sticks out her tongue while she worked,

"Hello? Can I get some coffee here?" a voice said from the other end of the counter. Liam shook his head and jerked his attention to the next customer,

"Sorry I was— _Ali?"_ Liam exclaimed in shock. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" His little sister stood with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face, Cameron stood uncertainly behind her, glancing around the Coffee Shack,

"I'm getting a coffee," she said nonchalantly,

"You're not supposed to be here! You're supposed to be in school, in London! Where's Arthur?" he really hoped Arthur wasn't in Gotham…he didn't like him,

"We convinced him that it was time we visited you and Tori for once. We're here for four days," Ali said, crossing her arms and frowning, "Aren't you happy to see us?" Liam bit his lip in contemplation. Yes, he was happy to see them…but it was dangerous enough that Liam was in Gotham. Especially with the danger the Court posed to his family…but now that all three of them were in Gotham? Shit could happen. Liam opened his mouth to say just that when a man behind Ali and Cameron spoke up,

"Are you going to order something or just chat?" he asked grumpily. Liam frowned at the customer before sighing,

"Nadya?" he called, she turned to face him,

"Yeah?" she asked, pulling out one of her earbuds,

"Can you take the counter, I'm going on my break,"

"Sure," she said with a smile, "Tell Logan his break is over then," Liam stepped out from behind the counter and waved at their other co-worker, Logan to get back to work. He then dragged Cameron and Ali over to one of the tables,

"Look, I am happy to see you guys…it's just really not a good—,"

"Liam!" another voice called. Liam looked up to see Tim weaving through the chairs to where he and his family were,

"Are you Tim?" Cameron asked, looking up at Tim,

"Uh…yeah?"

"I thought you were shorter,"

"That, I am not," Tim said, quite proudly,

"To me you're still a shrimp," Liam stated, which earned him a glare,

"What do you mean it's not a good time for us to be here?" Ali demanded, arms still crossed,

"What are they doing here…the one reason you were told to stay in London was—,"

"—Who told us to stay in London?" Cameron interrupted, looking confused. Ali let out a groan and Liam just sighed,

"What?" Tim asked,

"We haven't told him,"

"Well that makes everything ten times harder," Tim muttered. He shook his head before facing Liam, "I think I know where Tori is," he said,

"Wait…hold up. Tori's missing _again?"_ Ali exclaimed,

"Yes and no," Tim said,

"What does that even mean!"

"Ali, shut up. What did you find out,"

"We found out that she's been teleported to another dimension," Liam and Ali stared at Tim for a second or two to make sure he was being serious,

 _"What?"_ Liam exclaimed,

"How can you say that with a straight face?" Ali asked,

"I know it sounds strange but a Bionic with teleportation abilities took them to another world by accident,"

"Hold up…them?" Ali asked, "I thought this was just Tori!?"

"Well…uh…Dick too," Liam said sheepishly,

"Our cousin? Really?" Ali said, putting a hand to her head, "Our family just can't catch a break,"

"And Jason," Tim added unhelpfully,

"When did _that_ happen?" Liam asked,

"What's Bionic?" Cameron asked, "Would everyone stop treating me like some little kid who can't hear anything right? Tell me what's going on!"

"Last night," Tim replied to Liam's question,

"Where's the Bionic kid?" Liam asked,

"Captured by some unknown person,"

"It can't be Mac can it?" Ali asked, suddenly worried, "He's in prison,"

"No, it couldn't be him, not with the kind of fire power they have," Cameron was giving Liam his meanest glare/pout,

"What's this about Mac! Tell me!" he yelled, suddenly they were all very aware of all the stares they were getting. Cameron was on the verge of an eleven year old temper tantrum and everyone was talking over each other loud enough for people to wonder what they were arguing about,

"Explain everything to him. It'll be less dangerous out there if he wasn't ignorant of what really happened," Tim, "Let's go to my dorm. We have a lot to discuss,"

"That's an understatement," Ali said, rolling her eyes but following them out nonetheless.

* * *

Liam nervously paced his room. Tim sat on the desk chair nonchalantly typing away at Liam's laptop while Ali sat on his bed nervously biting her nails,

"How can you just sit there typing away on the computer?" she demanded after a few minutes of silence broken only by the typing of the keyboard's keys. Tim didn't glance up,

"It'll get us answers,"

"It won't find Cameron!" she snapped, "I knew we shouldn't have told him!"

"Ali, Cameron grew up here. I'm sure he'll find his way back," Liam said trying to reassure her, though he wasn't quite sure of that fact himself. Cameron had been little when he lived in Gotham. Maud always kept him close at home and he rarely walked anywhere in the City on his own, he probably rarely paid attention even if he went somewhere in the city. He was a kid, he didn't need to know how to get where he wanted to go. Cameron had run off shortly after being told the truth behind what had happened to Tori, their parents and why he and Ali had to stay in London. Liam had wanted to go after him, but Tim told him to stay put,

"Cameron will be fine," Tim said, "Let him calm down. It was a lot of information to throw on a kid in such a short amount of time,"

"Then why did you tell us to do it!" Ali shouted,

"Ali," Liam said, putting a little bit of a stern tone to his voice which earned him a glare. Tim had stopped typing and turned to face Ali, bridging his fingers under his chin,

"I only said to tell him everything. I never said _when_. It was your decision to tell Cameron everything all at once," Ali let out a frustrated wail of anger,

"Why did you feel the need to say that?" Liam asked, "That only makes everything worse," Tim shrugged turning back to his computer,

"I didn't know he would react like that. He's not _my_ brother," Liam gritted his teeth wanting to come up with some snappy retort to that comment, but found none to express his anger with,

"My little brother is out in Gotham on his own where he could be snatched up by the Talon…what's his name…Bill? Colby?—?"

"William Cobb," Ali said from her spot on the bed. Her glare at Tim was still in place and she had her hands in fists,

"—and you're just sitting here—," Liam tried to continue,

"He wouldn't do that," Tim interrupted,

"And how would _you_ know that?" Ali snapped,

"He and Tori have an understanding,"

"An 'understanding?'" Liam asked, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means he owes her. And that if he takes or hurts one of you it would only ruin that slim and breakable truce he has with her,"

"Why did he even allow himself to owe her?" Liam asked, "Doesn't he hate her for not joining him and the Court?"

"I don't know…maybe he thinks he can use that truce to his advantage or something but it's still the reason why he won't harm any of you,"

"Well Tori's not even here to know if he tried to—," Ali started,

"And William doesn't know that Tori's not here…so let's keep it that way,"

"Like they could hear us!"

"Owls come out at night," Tim said cryptically,

"And so do bats," Liam said, "Which we really need right now…so what do you have?"

"I have a tracking device on Adam. If we can get him out of where ever he is we can get him to bring Dick, Tori and Jason back from where ever they are,"

"You make that sound so easy," Ali said, rolling her eyes,

"It's not easy, in fact it's very hard. The tracker's been scrambled. Someone put up a protective failsafe should anyone try to find the location of their operations. That makes it difficult to track the tracker on Adam," Tim said,

"So what can we do?" Ali asked,

"We can hack the scrambler," Liam said,

"Not at this level, they would be alerted the instant we tried and failed to break it. Plus I'd need to know where it is in order to do that as well as what type of scrambler it is,"

"Then what do we do?"

"If we can shut it down…the power of the building, all of it including backup generators anything that could give them electricity to run their computers and machines…we can track Adam and find him that way," Tim said,

"Well how the hell are we going to do that?" Liam demanded. Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper,

"Adam gave me this before I left him—,"

"—you left your friend to be taken by the bad guys?" Ali interrupted shocked,

"Sometimes you have to make hard decisions to succeed in a mission. Whether it's dangerous to others or not," Tim said,

"But he's your friend,"

"That's what makes it hard,"

"I wouldn't do that," Ali said,

"That's the difference between us and you. We know that in order to succeed, there needs to be a trail to follow…and when that trail runs dry, you make it flow again,"

"That sounds harsh," Liam said, "You're sacrificing people you care about,"

"Not all the time. And not all of those sacrifices end in death, in fact we tend to avoid things like that," Tim stated, "It's for the greater good. If letting one person get captured leads to the whole operation being revealed to the public and the police, it's worth it because more lives are saved in the future,"

"It still sounds harsh," Ali stated,

"I know…and sometimes I can't make the decision I'm supposed to make. Sometimes it seems only Batman can make that decision and I don't know if I'm weaker or stronger for not being able to, but that's besides the point. The point is this piece of paper may be our way of shutting down the power,"

"How so?" Liam asked,

"It leads to a burner phone," Tim said meaningfully, "I traced the number before coming here. I would have come sooner but I really needed the sleep," He gave Liam a level stare as he held out the paper for Liam to take. It took him an instant to understand why,

"No…you don't think… _no_ ,"

"You asked what kind of job requires burner phones," Tim said, "turns out this one probably does. Call him. He'll help you." Liam stared down at the numbers on the paper, ignoring Ali's questioning gaze. His phone already in his hand without thinking…and he just stood there with the phone and paper in his hand,  
"I don't think I can," Liam said, "It's been so long and he has so much to answer for,"

"Then call him. He'll talk. You tell him our plan. Do it for the greater good," Tim said, "This is a small sacrifice to pay for freeing an innocent victim." Liam took at deep breath, typing in the numbers with numb fingers and brought the device to his ear.

* * *

A/N: Wonder who's cell phone number that is. Bah! Why do I bother, it's obvious! ;)

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	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Here's the newest chapter! I am chugging along on this story. I am almost near the start of the end so yay!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 27

Cameron ran all the way to Hyde Park. He probably shouldn't have. It was almost dark and Gotham…wasn't a City he knew like the back of his hand anymore. It had been a long time…and yet it felt like he had never left. The darkness of the city so familiar it was almost already a part of him again. He longed for London. A place that was safe and away from the masks that ruled his old home…yet Gotham would always be his home. It's where he was born. It's where his parents died…and apparently his sister too. It's the place where Talons serve the Court of Owls through the shadows and no one knew, or maybe Batman knew. Maybe he was one of them…

Cameron shook his head, Batman couldn't be one of them. Ali and Liam assured him of that…but at the same time…why couldn't he save his parents? Talons killed them and yet where was justice for them? Their deaths could have been avoided…or at least Jess's death could have been avoided…couldn't it have? Cameron loved Jess. She was the one to read him bedtime stories…not Maud…not Max. She was young. Only thirty-one when she died. She could have done so much with her life, and now she couldn't. Maybe if Maud and Max had lived Tori wouldn't be a Talon, maybe he and Ali would have never been sent to London for their 'protection.' But then they'd have to stay in Gotham.

Gotham. The city of shadows, birds, bats and now apparently owls. The city that never catches a break. A city that's full of sadists and raiders and killers and crazies. Cameron closed his eyes as the cold air rushed through the park and he hugged himself against the cold. _Oh why did we come back to Gotham?_ He thought to himself. Ali had insisted on coming, saying that the answers she wanted were there. She never asked if Cameron had wanted to come back, she never asked whether he wanted the answers he received either. Maybe he would have been ignorant like Tim had said…but the knowledge he received shifted his ever changing perspective of the city he still wasn't quite sure whether he loved or hated.

The city held adventure at every corner, death in every alleyway and greedy rotten people everywhere you turned. Very few were innocent. Very few untouched by the rot that was the evil in the city. Maybe everyone felt that if they stayed things would get better, that maybe things can change. Sure, Gotham has changed over the years. Batman and his partners made sure that crime stayed down…but that evil would never really leech itself out. It was always there and it wouldn't move on anytime soon. And as Cameron stood in the ankle deep snow of the park, watching kids laugh and play with their mothers watchfully talking nearby, Cameron wondered how just locking the problem away helps solve the problem at all. It just stores it away for later, it just stores it up to capacity until it's ready to burst at the seams…and then it does. The doors burst open and the evil is washed out into the streets again for the Bats to contain once more. An endless cycle of good versus evil…of yin and yang. And yet, in the yin and yang symbol there is a little white in the black of the symbol and a little black in the white of the symbol. Cameron closed his eyes and remembered Max telling him this. He couldn't remember where they were or why they were talking about it, but he remembered,

 _"A little white in the black and a little black in the white. Do you know why Cameo?" Max had always called him that when he was little. Just between them, no one else knew. Cameron hadn't known the answer then, "Because while there is distinct order and chaos in life— the white and the black—there is a little bit of each in the other. There's a little white in the black and a little black in the white…and you know what color that makes right?"_

"Grey" Cameron said out loud. Opening his eyes. There's a little grey in both order and chaos. There are lines that can be blurred…Jason—who was apparently the Red Hood—knew that. Maybe even Tori knew that, especially now because she was a Talon. They knew how simply the problem could be solved and yet they don't do it—well Jason not as often as he used to—they fight the temptation, and that's what makes them good buy they accept that there's another option. Maybe that's why the people of Gotham stayed, they fight the temptation to run. They face the fear that change is impossible. They stay to prove that evil cannot win entirely. And maybe…maybe Cameron can stay too. Just until Tori is found again.

The laughter of the children made him sad. He missed his mom. He missed calling her mommy and often found himself about to say it out loud to Ali instead of her name. He couldn't help it, she looked exactly like her—except for her eyes, they were green—she was Maud's double…yet a much better person than their mother had ever been. Cameron recalled the memory of Max telling him about the yin and yang and the grey in the black and white sides. Maud had interrupted Cameron's answer,

 _"We do not speak of the grey in this household," she had said, "that's not our future…not as long as I live,"_ Cameron hadn't know what that meant at the time…he'd been little…but now he thinks he knew what she had meant. Maybe that's what got them killed. Cameron grimaced at the memory of their deaths. It was a closet he had been hidden in, not a panic room, there was sound and flickering movement through the shutters…he remembered it like the day it had happened.

The cold had seeped in through his jacket and his socks were starting to turn wet, so he turned to leave the park. His anger at the truth and the fact that it had been hidden from him forgotten, only to nearly plow into a tall man walking, or standing, behind him,

"Sorry mister," he said, stumbling back a bit,

"My apologies," the man said. He had a crisp voice, one that sounded familiar in a strange way. He wore a long trench coat jacket that seemed to radiate heat and a baseball hat pulled low over his eyes. What skin was visible was very pale, like it had been leeched of all color, "Are you lost my boy?" he asked. Cameron frowned,

"No, mister. I know Gotham like it's the back of my hand," it was true…though maybe not to the extent of 'back of my hand' perfection…but mostly true nonetheless. The man smiled,

"I'm sure you do. But Gotham is very dangerous. Especially at night,"

"It's not night yet," Cameron replied, a little bite to his tone. The man seemed not to notice,

"But it's getting darker and you're on your own,"

"I know where I'm going," he insisted,

"I understand that. But a lone wolf doesn't survive without a pack does he?" Cameron wondered if that was a rhetorical question, either way he didn't want to answer, "At least not without a weapon of his own," the man pulled a metal object out from his sleeve, it glinted in the streetlight. He held it out to Cameron who regarded it at a distance. It was a dagger, slim and sleek. Well crafted and ancient looking. Cameron could tell even from where he stood that it was sharp. Without thinking he held out his hand and grasped the weapon with slight awe. But then he thought better of it…he could hurt someone by accident with this weapon…or hurt himself or his family. He didn't want that, he didn't want to hurt anybody. Cameron moved to give the knife back,

"I don't want it," he said, but the man stepped back hands up, palms out,

"Consider it a gift," he said, stepping out of the light. Cameron, knife still in hand moved to follow and return the knife, but realized with slight shock, that the man was nowhere in sight. Biting his lip, Cameron turned the dagger over to examine it more carefully only to nearly drop it at the insignia etched into the hilt:

an owl.

Cameron nearly did just drop it and leave it in the snow to rust over. But he didn't. Instead, Cameron kept it. He tucked it into a belt loop and pulled his coat over it before starting back towards the University. It was a test he knew. A test he had no intention of continuing to pass…and yet a test he was afraid to fail just the same.

* * *

A/N: Well I wonder who _THAT_ was?! :}

Next chapter on Monday and a Short Story on Wednesday.

And please please please REVIEW! I miss hearing from you guys!


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: I would really appreciate SOME feedback...just like a heads up to let me know whether I'm doing good with this story. That you like it and want me to continue or that you hate it and want me to stop or give me some suggestions! I know you guys are reading it, but I would like some reviews every once in a while!

I hate to be the writer who sounds needy...but I would like reviews please.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 28

The phone rang. It rang and rang and rang. Liam paced nervously around the dorm room. Tim was still at the computer typing up an essay that was due when their break was over while Ali flipped through a computer science textbook that was lying on the bed. Whether she understood it at all was a mystery and Liam didn't dare ask her if she did. The phone rang for so long that he was sure it would go to voicemail, or self destruct, he wasn't sure. He was about to hang up and try again when it stopped ringing and the click that indicated someone was answering the phone echoed in his ear,

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered. A voice he remembered from two years ago, so familiar that Liam didn't answer right away, "Hello?" the voice asked again, this time insistent and suspicious,

"G-Grant?" Liam stuttered, silence reigned for a full minute before Grant answered,

"How did you get this number?" Liam was too stunned to answer, he didn't even know what he should say, someone could be listening or it might not even be Grant. Tim let out an impatient sound stood and held out his hand, pausing only when the lights randomly started to flicker,

"Don't worry, they always do that," Liam said. Tim gave him a look that qualified as a impatient glare and Liam wordlessly gave it to him and he put it on speaker before speaking,

"Grant, this is Tim Drake. Tori's half-brother. We know about Adam and that he's an abductee from Mac's experiment. We also know that you work for the person that supposedly funded the whole experiment…do you know who it is?" Ali, who had somehow migrated to the computer looked up with a bored expression,

"Lex Luthor," she stated flatly in the same breath as Grant,

"How do you know that Ali?" Liam demanded just as Grant asked it,

"The encrypted emails. The textbook was really helpful and I'm good at math—,"

"—You hacked my emails?" Grant snapped, outraged. That just made Liam angry,

"Seriously? You're angry about that? Just about your fucking emails? We have been worried sick about you for the past two years and it turns out you are working with the man who funded the scientist's work that caused us to lose our sister for a full year and on top of that gave her unwanted superpowers oh and caused our parents to fucking die!" Grant took a deep breath, Liam could almost see him pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration,

"It's not that simple. When I took this job all I knew was that I was part of Luthor's security detail, Riley and I were living together and we were financing ourselves fairly well,"

"Yeah, I know. I've seen the apartment that seems to lack your presence,"

"…that was not my choice," Grant said, "You know us, our family. We're fast learners. I got promoted fast, and as I rose in the ranks of the security service I heard whispers of some sketchy project Lex was working on. I wanted to know what it was so I worked harder and got promoted to head of security and eventually to protecting Luthor himself…though sometimes it feels like I'm really just his coffee boy,"

"Yeah, you really are just his little bitch," Liam agreed bitterly,

"Liam!" Ali gasped in shock,

"What. It's true," Liam snapped, "How could you not know something was up? No, actually how could you _know_ something was up and _not_ do anything about it?! Why didn't you call the police?! Why continue under his employment,"

"You know the answer to that," Tim, who had been listening silently, stated. Though there was a slight echo of annoyance in his tone,

"I did try to call the police but Luthor had eyes everywhere…and I mean _everywhere_ ,"

"Riley," Liam muttered, "He used Riley to keep you working for him,"

"But why?" Tim asked "Why not just kill you? Or fire you?"

"Because he thinks he can blackmail Tori," Grant said, "Luthor's project was using Adam's Bionics to create a portal between the two dimensions. He was paid a lot of money to keep Mac's experiments running. But when he was caught Luthor bailed on the whole plan. He couldn't pay bail, that would place too much suspicion on him and I actually doubt there actually was bail for Mac, either way Luthor couldn't do anything. He told me to kill Adam,"

"Instead you saved him…did Luthor find out?" Tim asked,

"He knows Adam's alive…not exactly how he isn't dead. And I've been elusive on the details,"

"That's risky, for both you and Riley," Tim said,

"But he still needs you. He won't do anything," Ali said, sounding hopeful,

"Hopefully," Grant muttered, "For almost six months since his order Adam stayed hidden with me and Riley. But then things changed. Luthor realized Adam was still alive and sent search parties for him, eventually the search led back to me. Luthor was mad, but he didn't kill me or anything and I don't know why. I can't be open about trying to avoid capturing Adam, yet I still have to search for him and since the baby's due soon I can't risk ruining anything else,"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tim said, "But we need you to ruin something else just this once,"

"Did you not just hear me—?"

"I'm Red Robin," Tim said, "I can help,"

"You really shouldn't go around just telling people that," Ali stated from the swivel chair,

"Luthor already knows that, but that's besides the point. You need to—,"

"—did you not just hear what I said?" Grant interrupted, "I'm on thin ice as it is. I can't do anything that'll risk myself and Riley or the baby,"

"You're a hostage. Luthor's not going to do anything to you. Hurting you risks any chances of Tori not testifying against Mac or Luthor in the trial. And you'll want to do this,"

"And why's that?"

"Adam's been captured again. He's probably being taken to Luthor as we speak. We've put a tracker on him but can't get the trace of the tracker because there's a scrambler interfering with it, but if you somehow turn all the power off, generators included, we can track him and get him out of where ever he is,"

"Damn it Adam," Grant hissed. He was silent for a minute before replying, "I can do better than turn off the power, I can get you into the building without being seen and I know where Luthor would hold Adam. If he's back to his old plan it will be exactly where he held him before,"

"Good," Tim said, "But this is still less than easy,"

"Agreed, the security team's well trained and they have guns,"

"We have stealth on our side," Tim said, "We can get in and out without being spotted,"

"We? Is Batman coming?" Tim didn't answer right away, and it was then that Liam realized that Batman didn't actually know all that had occurred last night and on top of that the whole crime fighting family was stretched thin. Only Bruce, Tim, Damian and Stephanie to protect to whole city…rescuing Adam and patrolling the city at the same time was near impossible,

"We have this covered,"

"That's not a clear answer," Grant stated,

"I said we'll get this done. Tomorrow we'll come up with a plan and a timeline. We need this to be perfect otherwise Luthor will know we're onto him and that Grant helped us,"

"Agreed," Grant said, "Until tomorrow,"

"You still owe us two years!" Ali snapped right before Grant hung up,

"How are we going to get Batman to go through with this? You guys still need to protect Gotham," Liam stated,

"That's just it. Batman is going to patrol Gotham, as are Damian and Stephanie,"

"Then how—?"

"Simple. You're coming with me."

* * *

A/N: Okay things are happening! That is it for today, next chapter on Monday and another Short Story on this Wednesday!

And really pretty pretty please REVIEW! :)


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 29

"Whatcha doing?" a voice asked. Tori, not stopping in her sketching replied while completely mesmerized in what she was doing,

"Drawing," she said. Tori knew it was Garfield, his curiosity revolving around the dimension travelers never ceasing especially now that more of them have come through. The mission regarding the Mars spacecraft launch had been going on for three hours now. It was almost sundown when the launch was going to initiate and Tori really hoped she, Dick and Jason were wrong about what was going to happen…yet deep down she felt that it really would result in something horrible,

"What are you drawing?" another voice asked from behind her, it was Cassie,

"I dunno," Tori said, "Just sketching,"

"It's really good!" Wonder girl said with a bright smile,

"I try," she replied, "But you can't even tell what it is yet,"

"Doesn't mean it's not good,"

"Where's Jason and Dick?"

"I think Jason growled something about sleeping or something and Dick just left the training rooms," Cassie said,

"And you know that how?" Tori wondered, she knew Jason had not been sleeping well and understood the daytime and evening naps…but not how Cassie knew. She didn't really care, but was just wondering because Jason also did not like the fact that he was here ever since Gar asked him all those questions,

"You asked, I answered," was the reply and Tori rolled her eyes but didn't press,

"Can you draw a cat?" Garfield asked, leaping onto the couch next to her,

"I could definitely try," Tori said, almost laughing when Garfield turned into a green cat and stretched out as if to model for her. Tori moved to turn the page of the sketch book she bought on one of the few escapades she and Dick had been allowed to go on before the Leaguers went off-world when a page slipped loose and fell on the floor,

"I got it!" Cassie said helpfully, moving to leap over the back of the sofa to pick it up,

"No!" Tori cried, leaping up and snatching it herself not before Cassie got a glimpse of it. The drawing was of a Talon. One that had specifically tried to kill her a few nights before Tori had been thrown into the other world. It wasn't William she knew, they had a strange yet useful understanding. It was someone else and she assumed it was the Grandmaster who sent him or her after her,

"Whoa! That looked so cool! Why hide it?"

"Trust me, that is anything but cool," Tori snapped, groaning internally at the hurt look Cassie gave her. Leave it to her to make one of the teammates sad over nothing, especially when they were about to find out one of their teammates had died…probably, maybe…most likely,

"Gar," Tori said, eager to change gears, "Do you want to learn how to do a pullover on the bars?"

"Yeah!" Garfield cried excitedly before bounding off to the training areas,

"sorry for yelling," Tori said to Cassie,

"It's alright, but I still don't see why you're trying to hide good art. It's just a picture isn't it?" Tori sighed as she turned to follow Garfield out of the living room area,

"If only it was," she muttered, hoping Cassie couldn't hear.

* * *

"Gar, stop turning into a monkey!" Tori said for the fifth time since they entered the gym area. Gar pouted still as a green monkey hanging from the lowest bar of the uneven bars before turning back into himself,

"But I can do the pullover better as a monkey,"

"Yes, but one day you'll need to do one as yourself,"

"You can't possibly know that,"

"It's a possible scenario,"

"Fine," Garfield said hanging off the bar by his hands. Tori smiled and stepped next to the bar,

"You need to swing and bring your chin to the bar. The rest of you will follow,"

"It doesn't sound hard, how come I keep getting stuck!"

"You get stuck because you don't use your core strength to right yourself,"

"I have core strength!"

"You need to use more of it, and try to use your momentum to help as well,"

"I'll fall off if I kick up any harder!"

"No you won't," Tori said, "You're grip on the bar is tight enough, you'll be fine,"

"Will you spot me one more time?" Gar asked pleadingly,

"You don't need me to but fine," Tori said, moving to stand to his left at the bar, "Go on, kick up," Gar nodded determinedly and kicked upward with his legs while pulling his chin to the bar at the same time. Tori barely touched his back as he went and finished with his arms straight and his hips at the bar,

"I barely did anything!" Tori cried, "Now do it again and by yourself, I know you can do it," Garfield smiled brilliantly before dropping down on the mat ready to go again only M'gahn walked into the training room looking nervous and worried. Tori immediately knew that face. It was the face of bad news,

"H-hi…sorry to interrupt," M'gahn said, twisting her hands that were clasped together in front of her. Tori didn't say anything for a moment,

"How was the mission?" she didn't know why she asked…she knew exactly how it went…horribly,

"It…well…the spacecraft exploded," she replied, "I-I need to speak to Garfield,"

"Take all the time you need," Tori said as Gar followed M'gahn out of the room. She could feel the knot of nerves in her chest twisting. Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow was January tenth and someone had died tonight. Tori took a deep breath before moving to the cave wall of the training room that should really be covered by mats otherwise people would get hurt if they are accidentally tossed into the wall. She felt angry, a familiar emotion since her death and resurrection as a Talon. It had once controlled her…and sometimes it still did.

With a yell she punched the wall, leaving a slight crater and then slammed her back against the wall. Too angry to care that her hand had just broke…it wasn't like she could feel it. She hadn't known Artemis well, but she had been making a difference. She was a good person and she didn't deserve to die. If Nightwing had let them, her, Dick and Jason, come on the mission, her death might have not happened because they knew it was going to happen.

Tori took a deep breath and slid down the wall to the floor with her hand cradled against her stomach as it healed. It wasn't fair how many good people died so young. How could this happen so suddenly and abruptly…Tori knew that sometimes there were things you just couldn't control and sometimes people don't die and heal and get better, but death still doesn't come easy. It never does and it probably never will,

"I take it Artemis is dead," a voice, Jason, said from the entrance of the cave. He loped over to her and sat down next to her,

"M'gahn had to tell Garfield," Tori muttered,

"This is just messed up. Why did she have to die here too?"

"I don't know. I never knew her, but she fought hard in The Culling. That's what Tim said,"

"I know. But it isn't right," Jason snapped,

"It's really not," Tori agreed,

"What happened to the wall?"

"I punched it,"

"Angry?"

"Yeah,"

"Anxious?"

"Yes,"

"Tomorrow won't be as hard as last year. I promise,"

"Don't make promises you can't keep,"

"Trust me Tori. I should and do know," Tori didn't say anything, just let out a sigh. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Dick hurried in, a certain look in his eye that caused both Jason and Tori to stand,

"What is it?" she asked,

"Fearless leader Nightwing isn't at the wake in the living room,"

"So?" Jason monotoned,

"Superboy said he went to tell Wally that Artemis is dead,"

"Again so?"

"He's not heading for Palo Alto. He's heading for Bludhaven," a momentary pause,

"You put a tracker on yourself?" Jason asked dubiously,

"He is not me. Trust me on that," Dick said, "This guy is more like Batman than I'll ever be and that scares me,"

"I feel sorry for him then," Jason said as Dick started to leave the room,

"I'll get dressed," Tori said,

"Grab my holster will you?" Jason asked as he followed Dick out to the main room where the zeta tubes were. The Team wouldn't stop them, not when they were mourning the loss of a friend and teammate.

* * *

They leapt across the warehouses by the docks of Bludhaven. The moon high in the sky and their shadows keeping time to their movements. Tori didn't know why Nightwing would lie to his team and frankly she didn't care. All she could really think about was tomorrow. From what little she could hear from Superboy and Mal talking, it had been a former teammate who killed Artemis. Someone named Kal? Kalu? Tori couldn't hear the last bit as Jason and Dick stepped through the zeta tubes and blocked out the name. All she knew is that this team had been betrayed at one point in time. She now knew why everyone was so on edge about outsiders.

They landed on the last roof closest to the harbor of Bludhaven's edge. It looked out to the forest-y land across the way, and even further with her brilliant vision, Tori could see Gotham, with its back to the rest of the city. She could hear sirens from all corners of the city blaring at once and a lot of water hoses blasting at buildings. How Dick could once live in the city escapes her,

"So this is where you ran off to," Tori muttered,

"I did not run off to here," Dick stated, sounding slightly annoyed,

"Whoa, okay then," Tori said plugging her ears with her fingers, "I'm just saying, it's noisy,"

"Sorry. It's just…this version of me is so secretive and so unlike me! It's getting on my nerves,"

"Not only that but this is a seriously sketchy place to be on the night one of your friends has been murdered," Jason added unhelpfully, "Whatever this guy is in, it is bound to go shitty,"

"Thanks Jason that makes me feel so much better," Dick said with false cheeriness. Jason smirked and gave him and two fingered salute as if to say 'your welcome champ!' Dick rolled his eyes, "Let's just get inside,"

Once inside the dark clichéd warehouse, they silently walked along the catwalks above the main floor in crouches. Dick was the first to spot his double leaning up against the boxes fiddling with his hologram gauntlet. A trill of metal banging against something echoed through the room causing both Tori and Dick to turn and glare at Jason who glared back and pointed below and shook his head 'not me' he mouthed—he had left his helmet at the cave—,

"Wally?" Nightwing called out into the darkness,

"No," an unfamiliar voice said as a tall figure in black armor appeared. He was African American with light blond hair and light grey eyes. Nightwing tensed as if preparing to fight before relaxing,

"Kaldur," he said. Tori stared stunned…why would Nightwing be talking to a guy who just killed his friend? Apparently Dick, who couldn't take just standing there still as a statue any longer muttered,

"Oh that's it," before leaping over the railing and landing on the boxes Nightwing had just been leaning against, "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, ignoring the swish of weapons being unsheathed rang as both Kaldur and Nightwing surged into alertness,

"Conversing with the traitor teammate who murdered one of your friends! What the actual hell is wrong with you! You cannot possibly be my doppelgänger here, this is just insanity,"

"Definitely. I'd expect this from myself, but you? Naw, Goldie you would never do this," Jason stated, as he leaned lazily against the railing of the catwalk,

"What are you doing here?" Nightwing snapped,

"Following you oh fearless leader," Tori said icily. She wasn't going to judge, not until she had all the answers…though she could feel her blood singe by the anger she felt for this Dick Grayson. She curled her hands around the railing so she wouldn't try to touch her blades, "What else would we do when you slink off after your friend was killed by this very man on false pretenses,"

"It's not false pretenses," Nightwing said, "You just don't know all the facts," Tori glanced at Kaldur, analyzing him: his stature, how he stood, his weapons, his armor and his eyes. Danbury had taught her that everyones' eyes held a story. If read right you can know if they will follow through with the kill or chicken out and based on that read you can act before they do. When Tori looked into his eyes, she didn't see a killer. He didn't have the look in them or the attitude. _Hmm_ , Tori thought, _curiouser and curiouser._ She didn't say anything, just listened and waited,

"Then explain…because I am very close to ripping 'Kaldur's' puny head right off his neck," Jason muttered, "I know exactly what it _feels_ like to die and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially not an old friend," Nightwing opened his mouth to hopefully explain but was cut short by someone else calling out into the warehouse,

"Nightwing?"

"Wally?" Dick said unintentionally while cocking his head to the side confused,

"Over here," Nightwing called, clearly relieved not to explain. He moved towards the direction of his friend but Tori leapt down in front of him,

"You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself!" she stated just as Wally zoomed over,

"Wait…whoa…dude, why are there two of you?" Dick sighed,

"I'm him from another dimension, that's Jason from that same dimension and that's my cousin Tori from another dimension," he said fast,

"You have a cousin name Tori?" Wally questioned, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Really? Out of everything that's what you say? This really is Wally West," Jason snapped,

"Are you really Jason?" Wally asked,

"Enough of this! What the hell is going on! Why are you meeting in warehouses, harboring encrypted and password protected communicators and why the hell are you lying to your own team!"

"We're doing it to save the world," an even newer voice stated before a young woman wearing a jacket with the hood up stepped in next to Wally. She reached up and pulled down the hood. The room was completely silent…Tori had seen enough of the case file on the computer back home to know who that was,

"Artemis?" she asked, taking a deep breath as her mind whirled at the possibility that she'd been resurrected so soon and how that was possible and why anyone thought that this was a good idea when there were side-affects from doing that…when there were consequences herded onto that resurrected person's shoulders. Living was wonderful but knowing what dying feels like is something that will keep you awake at night,

"Don't tell me you resurrected her," Jason spat out, his eyes narrowing to slits in anger,

"I never died," Artemis stated calmly,

"What?" Dick cried, jumping down from the crates, Jason joining him,

"This has all been a misunderstanding," Nightwing said, "Kaldur's been on a deep undercover mission for months. He's spying on the Light and trying to figure out what their objective is for the Team and the Justice League…though the Team doesn't know it,"

"Artemis is going to join him…but to do that and to allow Kaldur to have his father's trust she had to die, and die at his hands," Wally said, though he was clearly unhappy about it which was shown through the slight glare he cast at Nightwing,

"My father works for the Light. If I am to get answers I must gain his trust by any means necessary, no matter the sinisterness of those means," Kaldur said,

"Nothing happens the same way twice," Tori muttered to herself, the saying just popping into her head. Jason frowned and looked down at her,  
"Did you just quote…"

"Shut up," Tori interrupted, "Why not tell the team?"

"They needed to believe that Kaldur truly betrayed us. It's the only way any of this would be believed by our enemies. I don't like this anymore than you or anyone else, but it must be done,"

"There had to have been another way than straight up lying," Dick snapped, "This will turn you whole team against you and both Artemis and Kaldur…and if what's happening here is anything like what happened in our world, you'll need everyone you can get on your side,"

"What happened on your world?" Wally asked,

"A war that caused me to fight my own brothers for Batman's cowl," Dick growled, "Nearly got Tim and Jason killed…again and made me become Batman for a whole bloody year,"

"Whoa snappy…I was nowhere near death," Jason said, "Plus, I was the one who stabbed Tim with a batarang not you," Tori rolled her eyes, she may not remember what had happened during the Crisis, but she knew how much danger they had all been in from what happened and their fight. She had become Oracle 2 soon after that,

"Guys, not the point or the time to discuss stabbings and near death experiences," Tori stated, snapping her fingers in front of the boys and the now stunned ex teammates and former teammates. Dick took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff,

"We won't interfere or tell anyone of what you are doing. I don't agree with this, I think this is stupid and selfish. This will hurt people and quite possibly kill both of you…but we won't interfere,"

"In other words he's disappointed in you," Jason stated, crossing his arms, "Do what you want. It's not our mess to clean up…but be careful, don't let anyone die for real,"  
"Wait—did you really—?" Wally started,

"Bye," Jason snapped before leaping back up to the catwalk and out the window they came in. Dick sent one last glare at his counterpart before following him. Tori sighed,

"Good luck," was all she said…she couldn't think of anything else to say. Tori had no way of knowing the outcome of this event…because this never happened. This world, however similar, was very different afterall. Tori turned and leapt after them,

 _"Could you please explain to me what the hell just happened?"_ Wally demanded as soon as the window was closed. Tori rolled her eyes at his extreme confusion before darting off to find Dick and Jason.

* * *

A/N: I actually haven't read the Crisis comic or the Battle of the Cowl comic so I didn't exactly go into detail on that. I know what vaguely happens and I don't think Dick would want to go into detail anyway. I will read those comics though, I really want to. Anyway:

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Next chapter on Monday and a Short Story on Wednesday!


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 30

They used the zeta tube to get back to Gotham, set to get a late night snack before heading home though they weren't sure if the place they wanted to go was opened,

"But he always opens his doors for me," Dick said from where they stood in the alleyway by the zeta tubes,

"That's back home Goldie, there's no way he'd recognize you. No offense but you're counterpart doesn't seem like the ice cream type of guy," Dick frowned,

"Well that sucks," he sighed, "Where are we going to eat then?" he asked scratching his head,

"Well there's bound to be some place open…though we are in uniforms and we've been told not to draw attention to ourselves,"

"Speak for yourselves," Jason said, zipping up his jacket and taking off his mask,

"And your gun holsters?" Tori asked,

"I'll say I'm an off duty cop,"

"Like that'll work with a smirk like that," Tori said,

"I'm hungry," Dick said, "Let's find somewhere to eat, there hasn't been a lot of food in the Cave since Bart started rooting through the kitchen and I'd like something other than semi-stale toast to eat,"

"We have plenty of food at the Cave. Of course I'd prefer not to go there right now. They're probably still grieving for their not really dead teammate,"

"You'd think they'd realize their leader was acting weird," Dick said, crossing his arms,

"I was getting the vibe that he hadn't been leader for long. I mean he's tired all the time…he's probably patrolling Gotham after doing missions with the team and let's face it he wouldn't stop until the usual patrol time even with Batgirl and Robin helping him out. He might have made this decision off of a whim and it might blow up in his face later but that's how he'll learn. "

"Gotham's a big ass place to be patrolling while leading a team of teenage heroes and preventing the world from knowing that most of the Justice League is off in space for a trial," Jason said nodding, "But even so, just because you've been leader for only a short time doesn't excuse lying to them,"

"Guys, I am fed up with talking about him. This isn't our world, we can't just interfere because we don't like the decisions these people make. Let's get food before I die of starvation,"

"Okay Mr. complainer and over-reactor," Tori said rolling her eyes, "It's not our fault you skipped lunch to run amuck in the training room,"

"Run amuck?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow, Tori ignored him and instead started to look around the area, "Let's see if there are signs for some restaurants," she turned to look around, hoping to find a place that had a sign indicating it was a restaurant or a store or something only to see a building she didn't expect to see, a building that wasn't there in her world anymore. She stared at it for a moment stunned before turning and jumping up on the outside of the fire escapes to the rooftop next to where they had been standing. She then sprinted off into the night, oblivious to the calls of her cousin and boyfriend behind her.

* * *

Tori sat in a tree. She sat as close to the trunk of the tree as possible, within the shadows only a glimmer of light reaching the branch she sat on. Sure, she should be there, it was probably a bad idea but she couldn't not be there. She couldn't not see for herself. Inside the mansion sat two people eating dinner. Chatting as they ate. One of the two was Tim Drake, the other was Jack Drake. His father; _her_ father. Sure…not really her father, but it was the closest thing she had to the man who died on her world. He was alive, eating dinner with his son oblivious to any possible danger that was around him. Sure, he was in a wheelchair, something happened that hadn't happened on her world that caused him to be in that chair but that didn't matter. What matter was the fact that he was alive and she could see him for the first time since discovering he was her father. She'd seen the Drake Industries building...still functioning and lit up like a Christmas tree. The building in her Gotham had been turned into a different office building after Jack had died and Tim sold the company to someone else.

He sat with his profile to her, she could see the shape of his nose and the color of his hair. It was her color, and her nose. And while she couldn't see his eyes she knew that they were the same shape as her's though not the same color. She had memories of the man, but there had been distance between them. Only small conversations and murmured hellos or handshakes. She had never really gotten to know him. Tori had only learned how he acted through Tim, though it was difficult to get much out of her brother because his death still brought him pain and she hated to ask him for details about Jack.

Tori sat with her knees up to her chest her head resting on her crossed arms on them. She stared at them, happily chatting and talking about their day. Tori wanted to cry. She wanted to mourn the loss of her chatting to him, of her spending time with him. But that loss was too far away for her to feel properly. It was something that never had the chance, so she will allow just a glance of her father, some closure to the fact that she'll never get to really know him,

"You shouldn't have come here," Dick said, Tori didn't jump or say anything for a moment. She had heard both Dick and Jason scampering up the tree long before they made their presence known,

"Can you blame me?" Tori asked,

"No," he said, "If we had come before my parents were killed I would have done the same, or try to stop it,"

"I almost went and killed this world's Joker," Jason said, "But then I realized that he had already killed me and my future resurrected self would want that pleasure for himself and I wasn't going to take that from myself," Tori and Dick gave Jason a look,

"What?" he asked, "Artemis didn't die here so maybe I'll actually kill the Joker or get this world's Bruce to do it! You never know," Dick shook his head while Tori just cracked a smile before frowning again,

"I wonder what got him in the wheelchair," she asked,

"Nothing good," Jason said, "Stop torturing yourself. Let's go back to the Cave. I doubt any of us are hungry now," Tori sighed and stood on the branch, it creaking a little at the sudden movement,

"Will he die here too?" Tori asked, looking back at them with her voice full of sadness. Neither Dick nor Jason answered,Tori took one last glance back at the mansion…and saw Tim look directly at her. He looked away quickly but she could see his brow furrow in confusion. She wondered if he'll look like that when or if he poured over Jack Drake's case files trying to catch the person who hired the assassin, if he'd make it when he finally found the person and wondered why anyone would do such a horrible thing…but then Tori jumped to the sudden realization that she did do that…or she had herself. She had killed people just because someone told her to. She was an assassin, she was just as horrible. The mere thought of that caused Tori to take in a startled gasp before leaping backwards onto another branch and jumping to the ground below, once again ignoring Dick and Jason's calls as she ran off. A whirlwind of emotions swirling more viciously as she ran farther from the last glimpse of her father she'd ever get.

* * *

Tori lay in the middle of the road. It was a back road heading out of Gotham so she wasn't too worried about cars coming, especially not at the time of night it was. Even if a car did run her over, she wouldn't die. She wouldn't even feel it. It might give the driver a heart attack, it might make Tori angry enough to mindlessly attack the passengers and then her thirty kills might sum up to thirty-two or thirty-five depending on how many passengers there were. She was an assassin afterall, and an assassin she will always be.

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Trying to calm the swirling mass of shame and sadness and anger. Tomorrow was the day she died. Tomorrow was a reminder of everything she gave up to prevent another tragedy from befalling her family, to prevent her little brother from becoming the monster that he saw kill his parents. But it was also a reminder of the many tragedies she wrought on the people and families she killed for The Court by becoming what she was. Tori remembered them all, though they weren't filled with grief for what she had been doing, she hadn't felt anything.

She had thought that after she had broken free of the fear she had if she didn't follow through with the assassination for The Court that she would feel ashamed for what she had done. That she would never pick up her swords and use them to hurt others again, but she had been wrong. Tori used them constantly, they marked fear for any thug that crossed her path and when Tori looked back on those memories, she still felt nothing and that shamed her more than anything. Her anger at herself and The Court fueled a blood-lust she could not control, if Bruce hadn't taught her how to center herself—by repeating a phrase, a mantra to herself—so many more would have died at her hands. Her bloody hands. Even so, it was hard to control the blood-lust that made her go into overdrive and on a killing rampage.

Tori studied her hands, covered in the black finger-less gloves of her Talon uniform, clean and unsoiled. Yet there were so many invisible stains buried in the cloth. Why was she thinking of this now? What brought it on? The thought of her own father's assassination? The thought of how someone could do such a thing? With a frustrated growl Tori slapped her hands back down to the asphalt and stared up at the stars instead. She could hear the rustling of trees around her and the grass waving in the wind, car horns blasting miles away and helicopter blades slicing through the air. Tori listened even harder and picked up the light tread of boots over the grass, slowly making their way towards her,

"This seems like a stupid place to run off to," Jason's voice called from the other side of the road. Tori didn't say anything so Jason walked over to where her feet were and looked down at her. She met his calm face with a fierce glare,

"Why are you here?" she asked,

"Why are _you_ here?" Jason shot back, giving her a small glare of his own,

"I…I don't know," Tori confessed, "I just felt overwhelmed,"

"Yeah. That's why you shouldn't have gone to the Mansion. Dick was right, and I don't say that often,"

"It's not just that. I thought about myself and what I've done…what I can't control—,"

"—Toria…" Jason started,

"—No, let me finish," Tori snapped, "and how even after leaving The Court of Owls I am still subjected to using their ways, their teachings! I don't understand how something I hate is all I have to use against those who do evil. I've done horrible things, just like someone did something horrible to this world's Jack...and countless others,"

"It's all you know," Jason said, "and we know better than to ask you to hang up your suit because we don't think you can stop yourself from killing people,"

"And yet I still have. It's all I know and all I can do,"

"That's the reeducation talking," Jason insisted, "They threatened you to kill the target. Every time you hesitated, and I know you hesitated deep down inside whatever hollow shell they made you into, they would whisper in your ear telling you that you were _replaceable_. That they would take your brother instead and ice you for years, decades, centuries until they knew there was no one left to stop you from doing what they wanted," Tori rose to her feet angrily, she did not want to be told this, even if it was true. It was making her heart race with fear and anger and shame,

"Stop telling me this," she snapped,

"No. Not until you understand that your death wasn't a selfish act to preserve yourself. You subjected yourself to their torture for days to show that they couldn't break you, and yes you bent for the sake of your brother. You _died_ to save your brother, your innocent little brother. There's not shame in that. And there's no shame in what you've done since becoming a Talon. There's no shame in _surviving_. You killed to survive and that's why it's so hard for you, you instinctively think that the only way for you to survive is to kill and we still haven't broken that instinct completely, but you are doing so well. You have been doing so well. You _are_ good," Tori could feel tears running down her face at the truth of those words, she may never really believe that she wasn't a horrible person for killing all those people and feeling nothing…but at the same time Jason was right,

"I don't want tomorrow to come," she said in a choked whisper, "I don't want to sleep tonight. I don't want to see them in my dreams. I don't want to die again in my dreams," Jason looked at her sadly,

"I know,"

"You said it would be easier,"

"I lied,"

"I know,"

"I'm sorry,"

"You don't need to be. You were trying to make it less painful than it was,"

"More or less,"

"You went through your days all on your own,"

"That's why it's tough,"

"But I'm not alone,"

"Not as long as I breathe,"

"Then you better breath forever," Tori said, cracking a smile before reaching out for him. Jason took her in his arms and held her close. They stayed like that even as headlights appeared in the distance, even as they came closer and the horn blared at them. Even as the car swerved viciously to avoid hitting them,

"I know you don't want to go back and sleep, but you need to. It's the hardest part of this day, but you need to sleep,"

"No promises," Tori said as they started off back to Gotham and to the zeta beams on the bike Jason stole from the Cave. Maybe she was somewhat of a monster, but she was a monster with a family she loved dearly and would do anything for, every single one of them. To keep them alive. To keep them somewhat happy. And yes, maybe she had less control than is ideal, but she'll learn. Reeducation is something that can be untaught just as well as it was instilled into one's mind.

* * *

A/N: This was a long chapter. It took a while to write. Sorry if the jumps from one place to another were a little choppy and random-ish. If you have any questions about this chapter or any of the others, PM me and please please please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

There will be no Short Story this week...I don't really think that many people are reading them. If people want them to continue just PM me or write a review on one of the Short Stories or in this story and I'll happily start them up again. It's just hard to write a short story off the top of my head every week, but I'll do it if people want them.

Next Chapter next Monday!


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 31

The day they were supposed to plan the break into Lex's building was pushed back. There was a meeting of some kind. According to Grant it was with himself,

"Are you serious?" Stephanie asked, "He's having a meeting…with _himself?"_

"Isn't that some sort of paradox?" Ali asked,

"I don't think it is, not if it's someone from a different reality," Liam replied helpfully,

"but at the same time it's a past reality…so you could say he's meeting his past self from a different reality…is that a paradox?" Ali stated,

"I have a feeling you don't really know what a paradox is," Tim said from his spot at the computer yet again. Ali was sitting on the dorm bed and shot him an annoyed glare, Stephanie was on the floor, Liam was leaning against the window sill and Cameron was sitting on the bed of Tim's absent roommate,

"I do!" Ali snapped,

"No you don't," Cameron said from where he sat. Ali glared at him,

"But seriously, why is he meeting with himself?" Liam asked,

"I don't know," Grant stated irritably, "I'm not allowed to be present,"

"Then why don't you…oh I don't know… _TRY AND FIND OUT!"_

"You don't think I would if I could?" Grant nearly yelled, "It's not just the other him that is there. Other members of his alternate's little evil elite club are coming and discussing some sort of alien race's experiments on their world and this Lex's plan to get the super soldiers from here to their world,"

"So you did know what it was about…" Tim stated,

"Well I knew the gist of it. I don't know specific details," Tim steepled his fingers and tucked them under his chin with a thoughtful expression,

"You're worried they have someone watching you. That's why you didn't want to tell us at first what you knew, even if it wasn't specific details,"

"…yes," Grant said, "…sorry. I just have a lot to lose here,"

"I know," Tim said, "and it's okay. We can wait another day to infiltrate the building. Adam can wait another day. If you can try to get word to him that we are coming and you are helping. We'll plan tomorrow when there are less unknown variables to deal with,"

"Okay. I'll call same time tomorrow," Grant said before hanging up. Tim sighed and rubbed his hands over his face,

"You need to sleep more," Stephanie said frowning,

"I'll sleep when Adam's away from Lex and everyone is back from that alternate world,"

"And when Lex is behind bars!" Ali exclaimed, "He's the reason Mac kept working. He funded the freak!"

"Yes, that too of course," Tim said, "But we need to do this carefully,"

"I'll cover for you if Bats suspects you're doing something that's not allowed," Stephanie assured him,

"And I'll make sure you don't get killed," Liam said, "…hopefully," Tim gave him a look,

"I think it's more the other way around,"

"Then why bring me!"

"You've done this sort of thing before," Tim said with a shrug,

"That doesn't really count for much experience," Ali said unhelpfully,

"And he doesn't know how to fight," Cameron added,

"And all he really knows how to do is run," Ali continued,

"And he has no weapons or knows how to use them," Cameron stated thoughtfully,

"Okay that's it! _Out_. Back to your uncle's hotel now!" Liam snapped. With much groaning and grumbling they all finally left, leaving Stephanie, Tim and Liam in the small dorm room,

"Do you really think we can do this?" Liam asked Tim,

"Of course we can," Tim replied, "It's what we do," Liam didn't say anything but he couldn't help the thought that popped in his head: _I'm not a part of this 'we.' I'm not one of you._

* * *

"Where have you been?" Nightwing asked as Dick appeared through the teleporter. Dick looked over at his counterpart, trying not to glare at the accusatory tone,

"Snack shopping," he snapped, "Is that not allowed or something?" it was hours since he, Jason and Tori found out about the top secret mission Kaldur and Artemis were partaking in, and he still wasn't pleased this Nightwing took that angle on the whole infiltrate the Light plan. Not only that but today was the day his cousin died, so it was not a good day to annoy him,

"No," Nightwing said with a sigh, "It's fine. You're not a prisoner here, you can come and go as you please,"

"Could've fooled me," he muttered as he walked past Nightwing, who was studying some holoscreen in the entranceway to the cave, "I can't do anything here. We could have helped you on that last mission,"

"Look, I know you're mad at me, but this isn't your world. You aren't me and I don't have to answer to you," there was a bite in Nightwing's voice,

"What jealous of me?" Dick asked, smirking at him,

"No, I'm not. It's just you don't have a right to question my leadership,"

"I'm not questioning your leadership, I'm questioning your decisions as a leader. You're a fine leader. Encouraging, strategic and serious when you need to be. You just aren't open enough and you're putting your teammates in danger,"

"Um, thanks?" Nightwing said. Dick felt odd that he just complimented himself but didn't say that out loud, "You can just put the snacks in the kitchen,"

"Oh no, these aren't for the team. They're for Tori…and Jason," Dick stated, they were mostly for Tori but Dick felt that Nightwing would wonder why he was just bringing Tori snacks or something along those lines and Dick didn't want to answer that. Tori hadn't told them and they didn't need to know. It was just between their family,

"Where _are_ they. It's nearly four and they haven't come out here to train or eat or anything," Dick shrugged, pretending not to know,

"Tired I guess," was all he said before leaving. Dick made his way over to the hallway where the Cave's rooms were. Once he reached Tori's he moved to knock lightly on the door but it slid open before he could. Jason stood there looking tired and anxious. Sure he would deny it, but Dick could read people well. Jason slid the door closed behind him and leaned against the rocky wall by the door,

"Where've you been all day?" he demanded in a whisper,

"I figured she wouldn't have gotten any sleep last night and thought it best not to annoy her and let her sleep until later in the day. I got some comfort food for her," Dick replied similarly,

"No chocolate?" Jason asked, his voice barely audible,

"I don't have a death wish," Dick replied as he pulled three boxes of vanilla Oreos out of the bag he was carrying,

"That's good," Jason said with a sigh,

"How is she?" Dick asked frowning. He and Tim never really got to talk to her on this day. It was a day where she didn't want to see anyone. Jason was the exception because he can actually relate to what she was feeling and he was the only one to actually get her to calm down enough to sleep after a nightmare concerning her death. The one time he and Tim had been there when she had a nightmare like that and Jason was away had been a disaster. Dick didn't like not being with her on this day and he was sure that Tim felt the same way, but he also knew that they didn't understand what she was going through. They didn't know what it felt like for their heart to stop and their soul to go…somewhere and then comeback. It was a mystery to them and while Dick liked that it was just a mystery, it made a slight rift between him and Tori which he didn't like,

"Depressed," Jason replied, "Tired, cranky, hungry, guilty, scared. A mess of nerves pretty much,"

"Did she sleep?"

"Like four hours," he replied, "I just got her asleep an hour ago and decided to stretch my legs,"

"Wait, four hours including this past hour?" Dick asked. Jason nodded,

"Couldn't get a wink in without a nightmare or panic attack throughout the rest of the night when we got back from Gotham, she got a good three hours from eight to around noon-ish and then couldn't sleep for a while so we just talked and then finally got her asleep around three pm,"

"You just talked for three hours?"

"It helps," Jason said,

"What did you do—,"

"—today isn't about me," Jason interrupted, and Dick stifled an eye roll. Of course he wouldn't want to talk about his death day but was a-okay talking about Tori's,

"What are you guys doing just standing in the middle of the hallway for?" a voice, a loud voice, called down the hallway. They turned to see Tim stepping out of the training room and walking towards them. Dick and Jason shared a glance: how much had Tim heard,

"Keep your voice down," Jason snapped quietly,

"Why?" Tim asked loudly, blinking owlishly. Dick and Jason shushed him, "Why do I need to be quiet?" Tim tried again, this time quieter,

"Tori's sleeping," Dick replied,

"At four in the evening?"

"It's been a rough night alright," Jason replied,

"What happened in the half-hour after you three left _my house_ last night that made today a rough night?" Tim demanded, slightly louder than before with a glare. Dick and Jason shared another glance,

"Nothing," they said together,

"Okay, better question. _Why_ were you even _there?"_

"That…you know what. No. We don't need to answer that. This whole hard rough day has nothing to do with you. Scat, this doesn't concern you. Leave," Jason said. Tim glared at Jason and Jason glared back. Dick rolled his eyes at the heated glares because this reminded him so much of home it was almost funny…almost…it wasn't that funny because Tim had caught them at his house and he'll want answers. Tim broke the glare first but kept it in place as he started down towards the zeta tubes,

"Fine, I'll leave. But when I'm back tomorrow I want answers!" Jason glared after him before looking at Dick with an annoyed expression,

"I can't believe I'm saying this but our Tim is less annoying than this one,"

"You're just mad that he can glare almost as well as you," a new voice said. Dick and Jason turned to face the now opened door to show a tired looking and red-eyed Tori,

"Sorry we were so loud," Jason said, frowning at the fact that Tori was awake,

"It's fine," Tori said, though she didn't smile. She instead glanced over at Dick who held out his arms for a hug. Tori flung herself into his embrace tightly…so tightly he was concerned his ribs would break,

"I got you some snacks," Dick said, holding out the bag, "No chocolate, Jason already asked," Tori smiled gratefully, but it didn't reach her eyes,

"Thanks," she said softly, "I'm gonna try and go back to bed,"

"I'm going to take a shower. You enjoy your cookies," Jason said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked back into the room,

"I'm gonna go for a walk," Dick said, "I know it's cold on the beach, but I bet there's some really good views of Happy Harbor from there,"

"Take some pics to show everyone back home so they don't think we just went AWOL for no reason," Tori said as she retreated back to the room. Dick smiled at the small joke, but frowned as she closed the door and started walking towards the way to the beach. She was just not herself right now and it was like a stab in the chest since he couldn't help her…or at least couldn't find a way to help her.

* * *

Tori sighed as Jason disappeared into the bathroom to shower. The last few hours had been the worst in her life. Constant nightmares, constantly screaming herself awake expecting to see owl masks surrounding her and piles of bloody dead bodies piled up by her hand. Constant panic attacks, feeling like she couldn't breathe…like she was dying all over again. She was jumpy, she was moody, and she felt like she was on her period times one hundred. It was awful and she felt bad for making Jason stay up with her…but he was the only one who could calm her down. He didn't talk and he didn't try to make her talk. He was just silent and held her closely and gently until she had calmed down enough for talking to actually be heard and appreciated and responded to.

She didn't feel like sleeping and both Dick and Jason were off on their own so instead of worrying and wallowing in her fear so she did the only thing one does when they are stressed and paranoid, she sat on her bed blasting music and ate vanilla Oreos. She might've sat like that for an hour or so. Dick liked to be outside so he'd be gone for awhile. Jason took really long showers, so it definitely could've been an hour. But she heard a loud crash through her headphones. Frowning, she pulled one out. Hearing something when her music was on full blast is not a good thing. Glowering at the prospect of actually talking to anyone but her cousin and boyfriend today of all days, Tori got up and snagged her sword and dagger still in their scabbard and pulled it on. Tori also grabbed the gloves that went with her suit, they had better grips on them for her weapons. She walked silently down the hall a hand on the sword by her waist. It didn't matter that she was still in her pajamas, she was just as deadly with her suit as she was without it.

When she neared the main room with the zeta tubes enough to see some of the room she was met with an odd sight. Nightwing stood hunched over with a hand clutching his ribs, Superboy was unconscious on the ground while two giant people, a man and a woman—siblings by the looks of it—carry an unconscious Bart and BeastBoy each over their shoulders. BlueBeetle is the only one still really awake, but he only flew in place. He wasn't blasting anyone or trying to stop the two from leaving. Tori stepped into the room fully to see a man in black armor: Aqualad. Tori glared, there was another with him. A woman in a black and orange armored suit. A crossbow in hand: Artemis by the looks of it. The hair dye was very convincing,

"What is this?" she called out loud, "Some bad Mexican standoff?" Everyone froze, even more than they already were and spun to face her. Aqualad held a trigger of some sort in his hand, a cold mask of a face on in place of the one he showed in the warehouse last night,

"Who are you?" he demanded. Tori raised an eyebrow, stepping forward even more until she was a yard away from everyone. He had to pretend not to know her, otherwise people would get suspicious. In their defenses, she didn't even exist here so it wouldn't have mattered if he'd said he knew her or not,

"That doesn't matter," she said, "What matters is just what you think you're doing with my teammates?"

"Don't try anything," Nightwing gasped, "He has a bomb. And inhibitor collars," Tori glanced at him. In the hand clutching his ribs was something small and rectangular—information swap. Very inventive…it must've hurt though,

"Do as he says," Aqualad said, "I will blow this place if I have to…Tigress?" Artemis stepped forward with a metallic collar in hand, but Tori pulled out her short sword,

"Do you really want to see who's the better swordsman…arrow girl?" Tori asked with a smirk. Sue Tori for wanting to take out her anger and frustration on other people. Today was the worst day of her life and she was going to make someone suffer along with her. Artemis glared at her but didn't say anything,

"Do you really want to die in an explosion? Do you really want to kill innocent people?" Aqualad said,

"Would you really want to blow yourself up in a mountain miles away from any town with some teenage superheroes in it? I don't think your father would appreciate that. Not especially when you have such an advantage…even so, you're bluffing,"

"It's too risky," Jaime said, slowly powering down and submitting to the collar. Artemis stepped forward but Tori lashed out with her sword causing her to stumble step backwards to avoid its point,

"Try to put chains on me. I dare you," Tori snapped. Artemis and Aqualad didn't move, but their glares intensified. Suddenly the wind whistled behind her, she could hear something moving—fast—behind her. Tori ducked and weaved, avoiding sharp dagger-like pieces of ice inches before they would've impaled her. Tori spun to face her attacker, an actual growl vibrating in her throat and an angry snarl on her face. It was a boy entirely made of ice…throwing ice at her. Tori twisted and dodged, each attack only meeting air,

"Ice. Of course it had to be ice," Tori muttered as she twisted and spun avoiding the ice until she got fed up with the kid. Flexing her wrists, her talon claws came out of the gloves she always wore and snatched two icicles and threw them back at their master. He fell back with a cry of shock and Tori didn't have time to gloat at the irony because the sound of a weapon soaring through the air caused her ears to twitch. Tori unsheathed her weapons and spun to meet Aqualad's attack head on. Sparks flew as strong and solid water swords met metal ones. His eyes were narrowed, teeth set while Tori knew she had a small grin on her face,

"How interesting. I've never fought an Atlantean before," she said, "I wonder if they're as tough as they say they are back home," Tori pushed Aqualad back, not bothering to hide her strength and slashed with both her dagger and short sword. It appeared Aqualad had somehow passed the trigger onto Artemis, who held it dutifully, but still had her crossbow at the ready. Tori and Aqualad danced through the main room, dodging each other's attacks and returning with their own. Aqualad was soon out of breath while Tori was just starting,

"You don't fight like Batman," he grunted, thrusting forwards. Tori leapt back gracefully and grinned like a cat, all teeth and sinisterness,

"I never said he trained me," she shot back, swiping his feet out from under him. Tori raised her dagger and sword and stabbed downwards only to have her weapons knocked out of her hands by a well thrown batarang. Tori threw her arms out wide and glared at Jason and Dick who stood at the other end of the room,

"Seriously?" she demanded, _"Seriously?"_

"What? Stopping you from accidentally killing him is a bad thing?" Tori stood their for a moment, glaring at them before muttering to herself,

"Who said anything about accidentally?" before crying out as a hand gripped her ankle and sent a vicious electric current through her. It didn't hurt, but she had to make it sound real. She 'crumpled' to the ground as shots rang out and electricity crackled from Dick's eskirma sticks. Tweadle-Dee and Tweadle-Dumb dropped their captives and joined the fray, separating Dick and Jason from Tori and Aqualad, who fought again with their weapons,

"You fight like an animal," he snarled, as he dodged her swipe with the clawed gloves. Tori rolled her eyes,

"Today's not a good day for me. And frankly I don't care what you think,"

"You tried to kill me!"

"You shouldn't care mister murderer!" Tori snapped back, flipping around an arcing slice by his water swords,

"You know the truth, yet you fight like we're enemies," Tori let out a slight laugh. She wanted to respond to that, but that statement didn't really register on her radar. She only knew that she was filled with rage and little else. Tori thrust forwards, not trying to kill this time, which she admits was a little overboard when she tried to do it before, only trying to maim even as the cold metal of the inhibitor collar slid around her neck. Electricity sparked by the back of her neck, reminding her of her chip when she had it and causing her to slightly panic as electricity flared around her. Tori dropped the swords on instinct and hit the ground with her knees, glaring at Aqualad and the Icicle guy. She had let off some steam and it was time to let the plan they had go as…well…planned. Dick and Jason were collared as well…though they might actually be unconscious at this point. The villains still haven't left yet though, they glanced around as if waiting for more people to attack,

"That was crazy, that girl just grabbed the ice out of the air and threw it back at me…with enough force to knock me down!" Icicle dude said,

"I noticed," Aqualad said dryly…though curiously,

"Heat of the moment," Tori said with a shrug, and Jason let out a snicker,

"Sorry…it's just you said 'heat' and yeah…um…I'll be quiet now," Aqualad moved around the room, the trigger now carefully placed back into his hands by Artemis, and kicked one of Jason's guns with his foot,

"Interesting company you're keeping nowadays, my old friend," Nightwing just glared,

"So…um…what's this about exactly? I mean this base isn't exactly discreet so why wait till now to attack it?" Jason asked innocently enough,

"We needed to take some cargo before we destroyed this place," Artemis said, nodding to BeastBoy, Bart and now BlueBeetle as they were herded off out of the mountain,

"So you're blowing it up with us inside it?" Jason asked, "You have got to be kidding me! That's cruel…blowing up the kid who's already been blown up and telling him about it right before you do it? That's just… _evil,"_

"We'll only blow it up if you follow us," Aqualad stated coldly, "The trigger has a six mile radius…let's _go,"_

* * *

"So…now what?" Tori asked, rocking back and forth on her heels as Superboy groggily petted his wolf. Jason was tugging at the collar while Dick just sat against the rock wall dejectedly. Nightwing on the other hand seemed to be counting mentally in his head and fiddling with his inhibitor collar until it popped right off,

"Whoa…how did you do that?" Tori demanded. Nightwing gave her a look and Tori almost rolled her eyes. Of course that was part of the plan too. He quickly moved to Superboy, Wolf, Dick, Jason and then Tori getting their collars off too,

"We have minutes, maybe less. If we try we can still get Gar, Bart and Jaime back,"

"He said he'd blow the cave though," Dick stated,

"Well good thing there's no one else here," Nightwing said, starting to dart to the zeta beams only to be yanked to a stop by Dick,

"Are you _sure?"_

"Yeah. Are you sure? Being blown up is nasty," Jason stated snidely. She could tell by how antsy he was that he was actually worried—anxious—about the threat of being blown up again. But she was probably the only one who could tell. Tori closed her eyes and listened carefully, she focused on hearing every echo, every sound in the cave. Straining to hear a seventh heart beat, but found none,

"It's really empty guys. We really need to go," Jason and Dick nodded, understanding what she had just done before darting forward,

"How do _you_ know?" Nightwing asked,

"Weren't you just so sure that no one was here too?" Tori shot back, Nightwing just gave her a glare, "I just do! Now come on!" Tori snapped, sprinting after her cousin and boyfriend. Wolf and Superboy were just behind them but gaining speed…they passed Tori since she wasn't going to show off her true speed. Not after all the stunts she pulled out of rage that night. Anger was a spark, but rage was a wildfire that could never be tamed. Tori needed to remind herself of that sometimes…but she wasn't that good at it when she had a bad day and today was the monumental bad day.

The zeta tubes were offline so they took a different exit. One that led them to the rocky side of the beach. They weaved through the rocks towards the ocean, hoping to catch a glimpse of Aqualad's ship or of their three captive teammates. They didn't even make it that far. The Mountain exploded. Heat seared too close for comfort as she was flung into the air along with the others and several tons of rock and debris. The last thing she remembered was the ocean coming up to greet her before a cold seeping wet darkness swallowed her up.

* * *

A/N: Wow, long chapter. Hope you enjoyed this! It was really fun to write. Any questions feel free to PM me or comment your questions. Next chapter will be on Monday and again no Short Story. Maybe I'll write one next week. I'll see how I feel.

Please please please REVIEW! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, or just say hi! Or something! I miss hearing from you guys! :)


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 32

"And you're on the roof because?" Liam closed his eyes in slight irritation at hearing Tim's voice behind him on the rooftop of Gotham University. He'd come here for some peace and quiet and to think and Tim was ruining it. How Tori puts up with him Liam didn't know…though Tim probably thought the same thing about him,

"Why do you think Mr. Genius?"

"You're doubting the mission," Liam rolled his eyes,

"I'm not doubting the mission," he snapped,

"Then why come up here? Or are you here to debate how long it's gonna take for you to actually talk to Nadya? I'm thinking perhaps in ten years or so," whether he was trying to be funny was unclear. Tim had just managed to piss him off further,

"I'm not thinking about my romantic relationships at a time like this and she has nothing to do with any of this,"

"Relax Liam. I was only making a joke,"

"A bad one,"

"What did I do to make you so pissed off?"

"Other than than that joke?" Liam asked,

"Well an explanation would be nice,"

"Why do you want me to go with you on this 'mission?'" Tim was silent for a moment or two,

"I thought you'd want to go," Tim stated, "She's your sister too,"

"I feel like we're playing tug-of-war with a person. Go to London, no come back to Gotham. Come running with me, no go leaping off rooftops with me," Liam said with an eye roll,

"And you're still avoiding the point," Tim said moving to stand next to him, "Don't you want to come?"

"I want to rescue her. She saved our family by becoming a Talon…the least I can do is try to save her for once…but I'm not sure I'd be any help. You'd do better on your own without me getting in the way,"

"Trust me, if I asked you it's because I know you can help in some way or form. So what's really bothering you. It's not the mission with Adam and Grant and it's not Nadya…so what is it? And you still haven't answered my question: do you want to go on this mission?"

"I do…and I don't,"

"Why?"

"I don't do things like this Tim. I'm not like you or Dick or Stephanie or the rest of your family…and I'm certainly nothing like Tori. I already told you I don't know how I can help. I'm not a hero,"

"You broke into BioTech. You did do this sort of thing before,"

"Yeah. And I got shot!"

"And I get shot nearly every month. It happens. It's what we—,"

"—no! It's not what we do. It's what you do. What you and your family do. My family…we're not a part of this type of 'we'. It's your family that is the 'we', my family is just a family of human beings. Of mundane people who don't sneak into buildings or fight bad people. We're usually the victims of those bad people. So yeah! I doubt this mission because I've never done this thing…not really!" Tim raised an eyebrow,

"Liam. You were almost in the olympics for long distant running. You're incredibly smart, your brother managed to fool a multibillionaire and genius into thinking a kid was dead for years. Your sister is practically immortal and stronger than any of us combined and your other sister hacked into emails we've been trying to hack for months in a matter of minutes. And don't get me started on Cameron. He's a genius too. You're fast learners. You don't even try in half your classes and you've already made the Dean's list. You'll learn this too,"

"Why should I though? I could live a normal life. I don't need to be a hero!"

"Then why did you go along with Tori into breaking into BioTech? Why did you hack everything in that building so you could find and enter the lab you discovered on _your own_ without any help from us…the vigilantes?" Liam didn't know quite how to respond with that…he didn't really know the answer,

"I…I don't know…" he stuttered,

"Yes you do. You did it because it felt right. Because you noticed something was wrong, something was happening under everyone noses and you pulled on that thread sticking out until it lead you to where you were needed. You may not want to be a hero. You don't even have to try to be one. But I need you with me tomorrow night. I need you to back me up and help me find Adam because if we find Adam and get all of us, including Grant out of Luthor's building. We can find Tori, Dick and Jason. You could back out, but that'd mean I'd be doing this on my own,"

"Ali and Cameron wouldn't let that happen would they?" Liam asked,

"No. And I wouldn't condone them interfering if they tried. I don't know them that well and they're young…but I have little control over what others do. It's not like I could tie them up. Not with the dagger Cameron carries around—,"

"—Hold up…what _dagger?"_

"The one under his jacket, in his belt loop. I thought one of you guys had given it to him?"

"No…none of us has—or would have—given him anything like that," Liam bit his lip, suddenly worried and he didn't know why. It was like a fell of static around him…in the air maybe? The sky was clear though…but it felt like something was sparking around him. Shaking his head he mused over whether he should go or not before sighing, "I'll go," he said it with fidelity. He knew he should go. He may not want to…he may fear the outcome of this mission…but it was for his sister, for his family. It called to him in some crazy way. Tim smiled,

"Good," he said as he started to leave. Liam watched him go before calling after him,

"Tim," he waited for his sister's half-brother to turn, "you weren't wrong. It did feel right…what I did at BioTech. I wasn't very good at it…I was caught…but in the end, we found the lists of the kids they kidnapped. We did something good and it felt great," Tim nodded in agreement,

"It's like an addiction isn't it?" he said, "You can't forget the feeling it gives you. The rush, the adrenaline and the excitement. In a way it's healthy. Your working your body and keeping it in shape to face the horrors of the streets…but at the same time it's dangerous. It could kill you if you're not careful…but you keep coming back for more because people never learn and you're the only thing preventing those people from corrupting the innocent and the good. There's a line in the sand, and we're the ones that keep it there…even if we blur it sometimes ourselves,"

"You're big on inspirational speeches tonight aren't you?" Liam said rubbing the back of his neck,

"Well. It's one of those kinds of nights. Morale is low and I got to amp it back up," Tim said with a shrug before frowning as if a thought just occurred to him, "Wait…at BioTech, when you said you investigated on your own…you also said you were caught?"

"Yeah. They found me almost in the Lab. They made me swear not to tell another living soul and if I ever mentioned it or looked into it again they'd fire me," Tim's brow furrowed, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tim said shaking his head, "Just me overthinking,"

"Um…okay. I'm going to go talk to Cameron about that dagger he has," Liam replied, and with that he left Tim on the roof, looking thoughtfully out at the stars.

* * *

A/N: I'm feeling super kind today. I'm posting TWO chapters! Maybe I'll post a third later in the week but only if I get REVIEWS! And not just one review! A couple reviews! I'm feeling vain this week and desire more more MORE! ;)

Next chapter either on Monday or sometime this week!

But please, seriously review...I miss you guys.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: Here's Monday's second chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 33

Liam marched down the stairs back to the dorms, wondering why Tim asked him about being caught at Biotech. It wasn't exactly a time he liked to remember, not that it had been particularly horrible. All he did really was file things, get coffee for people and helped organize events. He got paid well for it and did very minimal things…the only thing was he had no idea he was helping an organization create super soldiers right under everyone's, the governments of the world, the people of the world and even the scientists, noses. Finding a room where a wall was and no door was surprising enough…finding out that the keycard which had fallen out of Dr. King's folder opened the door was shocking…and it was astonishing that that room was actually a lab filled with machines and monitors and computers with all sorts of formulas and disks for videos. He never had a chance to see everything or how big the room was. Something had hit him in the back of the head and suddenly he was sitting in a chair with Dr. King staring down at him, the keycard he had in his grasp right before getting knocked out in her hand, flanked by two large bodyguards. He'd expected to be fired, but to his utter shock, Cassidy merely told him to never, ever ever tell anyone what he had seen or she would kill him without hesitation. Liam, puzzled as to why he wasn't just being killed in that moment—not that he wanted to but it was a serious question because what evil villain kept the one person who knew their secret alive!?—and voiced his confusion,

 _"Why not just kill me now? Or fire me—I-I w-w-would…actually prefer that to the f-f-former statement,"_ he had stuttered. _Cassidy merely smiled…no smirked,_

 _"To keep an eye on you, why else? Besides, you need to be alive for you to be useful."_ To this day Liam had wondered how he was useful to Cassidy. He did technically bring Tori right to them, but they had both gotten away. In fact, him remembering this all was surprising…that whole fiasco was a blur before…maybe the shock at the secret behind Biotech or the fact that his sister had been unwillingly apart of it just made him suddenly remember it all clearly? Liam shook his head, forcing the thoughts of the past behind him and focused on the task at hand as he walked down the hall of his dorm floor to his room.

Ali and Cameron were making faces at his computer in photo booth, their faces unrecognizable swirls on the screen. They were both giggling which made him smile fondly at them. He remembered when they were little and giggled a full belly laugh as all babies did. Everything had made them laugh and when they laughed everyone else laughed too. Although Ali hit him in the face every time he tried to make her laugh more often than she actually laughed. Looking at his brother more closely he could see a slight bulge at his side, something poking out from his waistband. Tim had been right, he did have a mysterious dagger.

Liam cleared his throat, causing the two to turn around. Ali raised an eyebrow while Cameron just looked annoyed at the interruption by Liam,

"Yes?" Ali asked, "Are you here to tell us to scram again?"

"Well, seeing as it's late and you have to get back to your hotel…yes, but I need to talk to Cameron first,"

"Fine, you two have a bro talk while I call a taxi for Cameron and I. No way am I walking around this city at night ever again,"

"When did you do that before?" Cameron asked,

"On those few nights before you were born and we went to the movies,"

"You were three then," Liam stated, "You weren't really walking on your own,"

"Meh. Potato patato. And there were after tennis match dinners when I was older for your information" Ali said with a shrug as she pulled out her phone. Liam rolled his eyes and opened the door to let Cameron out into the hallway. Once the door was closed he faced his brother. He had grown a lot since moving to London. He was almost five feet…he was almost as tall as Ali who stood at only five foot two and had probably stopped growing. Liam almost wondered if he'd grow to be taller than himself only to remember they were only half-siblings. He'd gotten his height from Peter while Cameron got his from Max. Cameron stared at him with a frown but also a curious expression,

"What is it?" he asked, "Am I in trouble for something?"

"Maybe," Liam said,

"What does that mean?"

"I just want to know," he started, reaching into Cameron's jacket and yanking the blade from the belt loop of his jeans, "Where you got this," Cameron paled and suddenly looked very worried and very scared. That made Liam very worried and very scared,

"You didn't steal it did you? Did something happen?" Cameron glared at him,

"I didn't steal it you oaf!" he snapped,

"Oaf?" Liam replied, wondering if that was meant to be an insult, "Then how did you get it? I doubt you bought this thing," Cameron bit his lip and shuffled his feet a bit before answering,

"It was given to me," he said in a small voice,

"Given to you?" Liam echoed, "Who gave it to you?"

"Look at the hilt," was all he said. Liam examined the dagger more closely. It was small, light and very sharp. Turning it over he looked down at the end of the hilt to see…an owl etched into the metal. He nearly dropped it in shock and disgust. Nearly…almost…but he didn't. Instead he took a deep breath before looking his brother in the eyes. Cameron looked terrified and miserable,

"Why did you take it…you could have said no,"

"What was I supposed to do? It was a test,"

"Tim said that Tori and William had an understanding. He shouldn't have done this," Liam was muttering to himself, Cameron had probably no idea what he was talking about since he left before that truce was discussed,

"I couldn't fail it…I was scared to. I didn't know if he would k-kill me if I didn't take it. He said it was a gift and that Gotham was dangerous,"

"well it sure as hell isn't Heaven on earth," Liam muttered,

"And that a lone wolf doesn't survive without a pack,"

"You're not alone," Liam said, "You have me, Ali and Tim. Whatever this Cobb guy is planning we're going to protect you from it,"

"What is he planning?" Cameron wondered,

"I don't know…I'll find out though. But for now…" he started, placing the dagger back in Cameron's pocket, "keep this hidden and safe. Only use it in emergencies. It doesn't hurt to have a little protection in a city like this and even in London. Besides, what Arthur doesn't know won't hurt him," Cameron gave Liam a shocked look before placing it back in his pants' belt hole and left to tell Ali he was ready to go.

When she emerged she looked worried,

"What is it?" he asked,

"Are you sure you want to go on the mission tomorrow?" she asked. Liam didn't answer for a moment,

"I'm sure," he replied,

"You hesitated," Ali said,

"I'm sure," he repeated,

"You don't have to go. You don't need to prove anything,"

"I'm not going to prove anything Ali. I'm going because it'll free an innocent captive from being tormented everyday and get Tori, Dick and Jason back home. I said I want to go and I'm going to go. Tim needs someone to watch his back. I'm going to go," he snapped. The lights flickered a few times before shining constantly again,

"Whoa, that's weird," she muttered,

"They always do that," Liam replied, "Probably the wind hitting the power lines or something. It's an old building,"

"Okay…but be careful Liam," Ali said,

"Aw, you worried for me,"

"Of course I am!" Ali said angrily, "I researched Lex Luthor. He is an evil genius, a master at slipping through authorities cracks and known for killing to get what he wants…you're doing something dangerous,"

"I did the same at Biotech,"

"And you got shot!"

"I healed fast. It was hardly a problem,"

"It will be if you get shot in the head!" Cameron cried suddenly, stepping into the conversation,

"That won't happen. I promise," though his heart clenched at the false hope that would probably give them,

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Ali stated mutely even as she stepped in to hug him. Liam was shocked, Ali wasn't much of a hugger…she must've really been worried,

"It's a promise I intend to keep. Especially since you 'have no faith in my promise keeping skills,'" referencing a time he promised to get her a drink from Starbucks and forgot all about it and she said that exact sentence. Ali chuckled into his shoulder and pulled away to smack him on the head teasingly. Cameron launched himself at Liam, who had no choice but to catch him,

"Geez Cami, you're getting too big for that. I'll be fine. You'll see me tomorrow anyway, I won't be going till night,"

"I don' care," was the muffled reply. Liam rolled his eyes but smiled at his siblings as he herded them downstairs to their impatient cab driver. He then let his smile drop once they were out of sight and let a frown form. Tomorrow was an important day…as well as possibly one of the most terrifying nights in his life. No experience and yet he was doing what Tori and Dick do almost every night. He was nowhere near prepared yet he was going through with this…even if it killed him.

* * *

A/N: REVIEW Yada yada yada. Love you guys! Next chapter on Monday! Or maybe some time this week! You'll want it to be this week cuz it's flipping back to Tori, Jason and Dick in the alternate world!


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 34

Tori was cold. She felt so cold that she wondered why she hadn't shattered into little ice shards yet. She couldn't feel _anything_ …and that terrified her. Tori was cold. She felt so freezing that she wondered if she was in cold storage…she feared that she was in cold storage and the past two years had been a frozen dream brought on by a forced hibernation. Tori feared that William Cobb would be looming over her if she opened her eyes, grinning like a shark and saying that thirty years have past instead of just two…that Alfred was dead. Bruce no longer Batman, old and grey. Tim, Stephanie, Jason, Dick, Barbara and Damian were all grown up and had forgotten her. Worse of all…she wasn't even sure if she was breathing. She couldn't tell…she couldn't feel her chest rising and falling or her heart beating.

The fear pierced through her fear as panic crashed through her with the force of a tidal wave. Her eyes snapped open and she lurched into a sitting position so fast the world spun. She opened her mouth to cry out, breathe, yell something only to sputter as seawater sloshed its way out of her body. She coughed and sputtered and choked on the unwanted water. She flailed until hands grabbed her by the arms and pounded her on the back. Managing a glance up she realized it was Dick, who looked slightly worried,

"I—I…I…my heart's not beating…it's not—," Tori stuttered, hand clapping to her chest, fear and panic icing it's way through her veins, "I can't feel it—I….It's not—,"

 _"Tori,"_ Dick said as she stopped coughing on her words and he could understand them. He made her look up at him, "Look—no—Tori _look_ at me. Your heart _is_ beating just very slowly. You froze. Do you remember what happened?" Tori blinked at him before everything came back to memory and her panic faded slightly. She could feel the slight and light thump of her heart, much too slow to be healthy or normal for any human being…but it was beating…she wasn't dead…she was breathing and alive,

"There was an explosion," Tori said, taking his hands off the sides of her face, "We were all there—Jason! Where's Jason!" panic spiking, "He was there too! Where is he! Where's Jason," her voice rising even as Dick tried to calm her,

"I'm here!" Jason called as he strode into the room, "Relax. I'm okay," he did look fine, apart from a bandage or two wrapped around his head. He sat on the bed next to her and wrapped a blanket he'd been carrying with him around her shoulders, "I just went to get you an extra blanket…you were practically frozen when we got you out of the water…Nightwing thought you were dead. Took a lot of convincing to prove you weren't,"

"Oh," Tori said in a small voice, "What did you tell them?"

"As of now…nothing. It's not for us to tell them. They can make their own conclusions…it's not like we'll be here forever,"

"And it's not like he isn't lying himself," Dick stated, "How do you feel?"

"Cold…and stiff…I can't feel my toes and my fingers won't bend,"

"It's better than before. You were white as a ghost and your lips were purple. You're arms and legs wouldn't bend, we thought you'd crack if we tried to make them. It was more like rigor mortis though…we were actually concerned you were dead…again," Dick said, giving her shoulder a squeeze, "thankfully you're more durable than most know,"

"What happened to you?" Tori asked Jason after giving Dick a small smile,

"I may have had a mini panic attack after we finally got to shore…I mean I almost blew up again so it was a given a flashback would occur. We just didn't account for Superboy _hitting_ me in the head to calm me down,"

"Relax Jason. He didn't hit you hard. Not like he hit Tori the first day we came here,"

"Where are we?" Tori asked, pulling the blanket tighter around herself,

"The Hall of Justice," Jason muttered, "We were waiting until you woke up to move you to the Manor. Apparently since Bruce is off-world and we have no where to stay now that Mt. Justice is rubble, Nightwing is letting us camp at the mansion,"

"Great," Tori sighed, "I can't believe Kaldur blew up the mountain. I didn't think he would do it,"

"Neither did I," Dick said, "Sure they want this all to be believable, but blowing up a whole mountain—one that just had people in it a few moments ago—is a bit of an overkill…almost literally," Tori nodded in agreement, though the gesture was robbed of effect due to everything still being stiff,

"Where's my suit?" she asked, "I left it behind…"

"I took it with us when I realized the Mountain was under attack. Took it out with us before it exploded," Jason said, nodding to a overly stuffed backpack a few feet away, "It's sopping wet but it'll eventually dry. Don't worry," Jason stated as he pulled her closer to his side as if to give her some body heat,

"Jesus Tori, you're still as cold as ice," Jason exclaimed. Dick frowned before getting up from where he was sitting,

"I'll see if I can find another blanket," he said before leaving the room. There was silence for a moment or two, and Tori blinked sleepily at that silence before leaning her head on Jason's shoulder,

"Tired?" he asked, Tori nodded,

"I only slept four hours remember…maybe five or six by being unconscious. What time is it anyways?"

"Late at night," Jason said with a shrug, "Can you move your fingers yet?" Tori tried and shook her head,

"I'm going to get you some tea. That'll warm you up," Tori smiled as Jason got up, but frowned because without him and his body heat she was cold again. Sighing, Tori got to her feet and ignoring the stiffness and cold in her body, she headed out the door to explore the Hall.

It was more of a glorified museum for all things super than she thought it was. She figured it was a front for the media and the people, and the real headquarters was in space on the Watch Tower like it was back home. Turning the corner of one of the hallways she could hear arguing coming from the main entrance. Curious she headed towards the yelling, stopping only to pull her hair up in a bun so the blanket would rest on her skin and not her hair, to see Nightwing and Wally glaring at each other,

"What are you going on about?" she asked as she neared them, her footsteps silent despite being pretty much a walking Frankenstein at the moment. They whirled to face her, Wally with his eyes wide at how she was moving,

"What happened to you?" he asked with some concern,

"Um…the mountain blew up?" Tori replied. Nightwing was frowning in a perplexed way,

"Are you sure you're alright…you were…well I thought you were—,"

"—dead, yeah I know. Dick told me that, but as you can see, I'm fine," Tori replied, looking around the room with interest. The layout was different back home too,

"No you're not, your body heat is dangerously low," Wally said. Tori was about to ask how he knew that when she notice him tucking his goggles back in his pocket,

"I have a blanket," she replied,

"…The veins on your hands…" Wally murmured, Tori glared at him wrapping her hands into the folds of the fluffy blanket. The glare shut him up, but didn't quench the curiosity in his eyes,

"What did Kaldur give you?" she asked,

"You don't miss much do you?" Nightwing asked,

"Nope,"

"He gave Nightwing here a flash drive with information on the Light and the location of his captured teammates," Wally said,

"Great. We can get them back then," Tori said, shivering a little,

"Here, drink this. It'll warm you up," Nightwing said, handing her a mug from the table near where they were standing. Tori took it gratefully and turned to look around the room again,

"What is it?" she asked as she started to take a sip,

"Hot—," Tori's eyes widened and she spit the drink out, dropping the mug—which broke—onto the floor. She coughed and sputtered and dropped the blanket as she tried to wipe the taste out of her mouth, "—Chocolate," Nightwing finished, clearly surprised by her reaction. Tori grimaced and continued to wipe at her tongue, desperately trying not to throw up and have a flashback of any sort. Of course it would be hot chocolate, Dick loved hot chocolate, why wouldn't Nightwing like it here too,

"Blech. I hate chocolate. Why didn't you say 'here drink my hot chocolate?' Oh many I think I might throw up" Tori groaned as she turned to face them angrily. The boys—well really young men—faced her. Nightwing with a shocked expression on his face and Wally with his mouth hanging slightly open. Tori blinked at them, wondering why they were looking at her like that when she realized what they had probably seen. She was in her under armor. A black pair of leggings and a black tank-top which exposed her shoulders and upper back. Where her scars were, where both of them could see plain as day with her hair up. Without a word she tugged her hair down and turned on her heel, desperate to get away from them. They'd want answers and explanations. She wasn't ready for that…not with people who didn't know her, not with people who were strangers yet wore the faces of those she loved and cared about. They weren't the same, no matter how similar they looked and would react differently to her story. To her being a Talon, to what caused her to be a Talon…to pretty much everything that revolved around her they would react differently and judge her.

She needed to leave this world and soon because they wouldn't accept half truths and lies for much longer. The detectives and scientists and curiosity in them would get the best of them and they'd push for answers…and Tori didn't want to lash out at them for doing that. She didn't want them to fear her, not when they looked like—and were almost essentially—the people she cared about from back home.  
Tori stumble-stepped down the hallway, oblivious to where she was going, so fast that she nearly plowed Jason over,

"Where are you hurrying off to?" he asked, a steaming mug in his hand—Dick was apparently still searching for a blanket in an uninhabited place—"Better question, why are you even up and walking? Where's your blanket…you should be lying down,"

"I was curious and went exploring," Tori mumbled. Jason must've seen the look on her face because he frowned,

"And—?" he prompted,

"I dropped the blanket because I accidentally drank hot chocolate and my back was to them and they…they saw my scars," Tori said,

"Who's they?"

"Nightwing and Wally," Jason sighed,

"Tori, they have scars too. Just like me and like Dick and Tim and like pretty much everyone back home. They understand,"

"They'll ask questions,"

"No they won't," Jason assured her, "They'll wonder…that's a given…but they won't ask. They don't know you like we do. They don't know how to ask without setting you off or triggering something. They wouldn't risk it,"

"But—,"

"—Don't worry about it. Let's get you back in the room you were in and lying down. Here drink," Jason interrupted, handing her the mug. Tori sighed, but took it gently, the heat pouring from the mug thawing her hands greatly. Smiling slightly she took a huge gulping mouthful, swallowing half it's contents and sighing in content as her stomach filled with heat that spread like a calm wave. Turning, and with Jason following behind, she started down the hallway again. Her mind still focused on the fact that Nightwing and Wally saw something she didn't want them to, but not at the forefront of her mind when suddenly the room swam. With a small gasp she stopped walking, stumbling slightly as a hand—Jason's—caught her by the arm. Tori blinked slowly, her eyelids feeling heavier after each blink before realizing what was going on,

"You didn't," she slurred, half turning to and away from Jason,

"Sorry. You need your rest,"

"Bu' I'm a 'alon," Tori stated, struggling to keep her eyes open,

"Horse tranquilizer," Tori glared at Jason…well tried to, darkness was seeping in too fast,

"'uck you," she said as she slumped into his arms and into darkness, once again.

* * *

A/N: I wonder what horse tranquilizer would actually do to a human...most likely kill whoever used it or knock them out for a long time...

Don't be mad at Jason, he only did it for her well being XD

Anyways next chapter on Monday, as usual.

And review. It would be nice.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 35

"Are we all clear on the plan?" Tim asked, looking at Liam specifically as he said this. Liam was afterall a crucial part of this infiltration and rescue operation, he needed to know exactly what they needed to do. Grant was on speaker phone while Stephanie was sitting on his bed. Break would be over soon so any planning would have to be done elsewhere if for some reason they needed to back out. Tim cringing internally at the thought of having to do schoolwork on top of trying to get his sister and adoptive brothers back from an alternate universe. Not only is he executing a plan to rescue them and Adam, but he's doing it behind Bruce's back. Of course he could have told him at any time what he intended to do and what he knew…but Bruce was busy with Gotham. There had been a breakout at Arkham recently. Riddler, Two-face and Poison Ivy got out. Not too many convicts, which was good but The League of Assassins have begun to be more active near Gotham which has Batman set on edge. They were stretched thin, so Tim figured that asking for forgiveness instead of permission was the way to go for this situation,

"Yes," Grant replied, "I'll rig the generator and the backups to shut down for at least fifteen to twenty minutes. That'll give you enough time to get in and out with Adam in toe. Of course there is the possibility that there is more security detail on duty other than myself due to the fact that Adam is there,"

"We can handle that," Tim said, "It will be like we were never there,"

"I hope so," Grant muttered,

"And I'll cover for you with Batman," Stephanie said. Tim smiled gratefully at her, though he frowned when he saw how tired she looked. Light half-moons were apparent under her eyes and her blond hair was frazzled at the ends,

"You don't have to. I asked for too much. Let Bruce be mad at me. It's okay," Tim said,

"No. This is important. We're spread thin and we need Dick, Jason and Tori back,"

"But if you're tired you can get hurt—,"

"—I'll get a nap in," Stephanie interrupted, "I'll be fine. Just get our friends and family members back," she said gently. Tim nodded before glancing over at Liam, who was biting his lip in either concentration or worry,

"You know what we need to do?" he asked him,

"Yes. I know what I need to do. You've explained it five times to me," Liam muttered,

"Wait…you're bringing Liam with you?" Grant asked, his voice raising an octave,

"Oh since when have you given a shit about—," Tim sighed, ignoring the arguing siblings. They have been arguing on and off since they started discussing a plan and it was starting to get on Tim's nerves,

"Okay. That is _enough!"_ Tim yelled over them, "I don't care what qualms you have with each other at this moment. Right now we are planning a rescue mission to get a innocent victim out of the clutches of Mac's funder. The man who kidnapped our sister and countless others for his experiments. This isn't about how much a jerk one of you was or how hurt your feelings were because of that assholeishness. This is about doing what's right and ending this man's plans for any super soldiers still out there with the Triton App still programmed into their chip. To do that we need Adam, Tori and the others back from the alternate world and the only way we can do that is if you quit yelling at each other every thirty seconds," Liam looked away liked a shamed child and the lights around them flickered slightly. Stephanie glanced at the lights above them curiously, but Tim just ignored the flickering,

"Now that that's over, get some rest, prepare in whatever way you need to prepare…we leave at nightfall."

* * *

Tori woke up disgruntled. She was tired even though she knew she'd been asleep for a while. Light filtered through the window to her left and she could only stare at the ceiling in utter confusion for a few moments before experimentally sitting up from where she lay. Tori say up easily, no hindrance by cold hard stiff and frozen body parts. She was completely thawed…it was weird to compare herself to a Popsicle or a frozen piece of meat…but that was how she had to refer to what had happened to her.

Tori yawned, bringing a hand up to rub at her bleary eyes and glanced around the room. She was in one of the guest rooms at Wayne Manor. She figured Jason had brought her here after he horse tranquilized her…the bastard. She still couldn't believe it, her own boyfriend pulled the drugged tea move on her. Of course it wasn't the first time one of the bat clan members had to be drugged to sleep…but it was still slightly betraying when it was done to yourself.

Alfred would sneak sedatives into the cookies he made and feed them to the boys when he noticed their sleeping patterns straying far from what was normal for them, or Bruce if he was being too stubborn or even Barbara for Dick when he was set on solving a case he was working on for Bruce or dealing with business at the circus he now owned. Tori had never been on the tail end of that…they may have tried but they probably only got a yawn out of her and a slightly earlier bedtime. Jason was the only one smart enough to try horse tranquilizer…it still made her mad though. It was not the first time an animal related item had been used against her. Bruce used a dog whistle on her when she'd gone all hash-slinging-slasher during training…Tori thought she had tinnitus for a few days afterwards. Now she'd been subjected to horse tranquilizer…she really hoped there were no side affects or dangers in giving it to humans…even if she was a different type of human.

Tori sighed before kicking off the covers and jumping off the side of the bed. She made her way across the room, aiming to head downstairs for some breakfast/brunch/lunch—whichever it was—but stopped when something caught her attention. There was a full-length mirror leaning up against the wall by an old dresser and Tori could see herself as plain as day in it. It wasn't as if Tori didn't use mirrors. She'd use them to fix her hair or do some make-up some days when she felt like it, but full length mirrors she didn't really use. It wasn't like she didn't like them, she just never felt the need to look at herself in one. Not in a while at least. Now she could see herself clearly in its surface.

Tori twisted from side to side, looking at one side then the other and then glancing over her shoulder to look at her back—riddled with pale little slashes. Only some were visible around her tank-top's low-ish back and spaghetti straps, but it was enough to make Tori cringe and face forward again. She was very lithe, like a tiger, she hadn't really noticed before. But nowhere near in an unhealthy way. Even though she ate more than two grown men combined, she still didn't really gain much weight. Tori rolled her eyes at the fact that she ate that much yet there was no weight gain and it was then that she realized that her eyes still had a yellow-gold tint to them. A sign of a healing Talon, she must not be entirely over her chilled hibernation from the ocean the day before. Tori sighed, of course her eyes would still look yellow-ish. She blinked a few times rapidly, hoping to disperse the coloring, but nothing changed. Tori briefly panicked, what if her eyes eventually just turned gold and stayed gold…that terrified her, she'd never be able to be seen in public again. Tori bit her lip and peered into the mirror intensely blinking until finally the gold faded enough to not be detected by her. Tori sighed with relief and then turned to glance at her back again. It was then that the door to the room she was in opened and Jason peeked inside. Seeing that she was awake Jason stepped inside the room,

"Don't be mad…" he started. Tori glared at him, crossed her arms and turned her back to him, "Don't be like that. You said it yourself, you were tired and needed more sleep!" Tori said nothing again and remained motionless with her back to Jason,

"I will make you talk to me," he said, moving closer. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, but she remained the way she was. Tori was mad at Jason, but not as mad as he thought. She really had needed that sleep, without it she wouldn't be much use in a fight. But he had tricked her and that was embarrassing and humiliating to some degree, she stood her ground and remained with her back to him. Jason let out a exasperated groan and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind,

"I could make you even more annoyed instead," he whispered in her ear, his breath causing a shiver of desire down her spine. She could almost picture the smirk he had on his face and the glint of mischief in his eyes. Tori rolled her eyes, still not saying anything, "Fine. You force my hand," he said before placing his lips on the side of her neck. Tori was about to ask why that would annoy her when he blew a raspberry causing her to squeal and try to jerk away from him, but his arms remained wrapped around her like a vice,

"Jason. Don't you dare!" she cried as he blew another one, right on the back of her neck causing a wave of shivers down her back. She couldn't help but giggle as he kissed the back of her neck again and again. Tori finally gave in and twisted in his arms to face him her glare back in place before leaping up and wrapping her legs around his waist as she pressed her lips to his. She couldn't stay mad at him for long and he was right to get her to sleep…even if it had been through deceptive means. He'd been worried about her health and she would have done the same for him.

They kissed deeply and frantically. Hands roaming and tugging at each other's clothing until Tori's back was up against the head board of the large bed she'd awoken in. They twisted and pulled until they were free of their restricting clothes and were a tangle of arms and legs and teeth, their breath mingling with each other's. Their hands twisting through hair and entwining in the sheets that were once a nicely made bed. It may not have been their Gotham's starry night sky above them, or even night. They were together. And that was all that mattered to Tori.

They laid on the messy bed, Tori with her head on his chest and Jason with his arm wrapped around her, his body warm against her's. She could hear his heart beating and fell the rise of his chest each time he took a breath,

"What are they going to do about Jaime, Bart and Garfield?" Tori asked after a moment of peaceful silence. Jason absent-mindedly twisted a strand of her hair around and around his finger as he answered her,

"They're going to use the information that Nightwing conveniently has to rescue them and the other missing teens,"

"Are we going to help them?"

"Like we'd give them a choice?" Jason stated, "Nightwing finally got it through his thick skull that having extra people really gets the job done,"

"So we're going to go on a mission?" Tori asked, sitting up slightly,

"Yup," he replied popping the 'p,'

"When do we leave?"

"Tonight," Tori grinned before kicking off the covers and rolling off the bed to her feet,

"Where are you going?" Jason asked, he rolled over onto his stomach as she padded to the other side of the bed, near the door to the bathroom,

"I'm," Tori started as she grabbed a towel from the closet, "Taking a shower and then getting in some training time before the mission…care to join me?" she asked him, looking at his muscled and scarred back,

"The shower or the training?" Jason asked. It was Tori's turn to smirk,

"Both," she said as she stepped into the bathroom. She giggled as he scrambled up from the bed to follow her.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter on Monday as usual. Please review! I'd love to hear what you think about what is going on and how everything is tying in together. Constructive criticism is welcomed!


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: Okay so in this chapter a mission from Young Justice takes place. I tried to make it mostly similar to what happens but some dialogue is different and things may happen slightly differently, so don't get too mad if things are different. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 36

"Why are we on the rooftop across from Lex's building again?" Liam asked, glancing warily over the side of the rooftop he and Tim were standing on. It was windy, and chilly and his black sweater did nothing to keep him warm…he was also panicking slightly…he was not ready for this and yet he felt he was. It was very off-putting and confusing because he was terrified and excited and sick to his stomach all at the same time,

"Because we can't just waltz into the building. We need to wait for Grant's signal before entering the building and to do that, without being seen, we need to zip-line across to the roof," Tim sounded annoyed and he couldn't blame him. Liam sighed, he knew the answer. He only asked because he wasn't sure he could even be any help in this situation at all,

"You're sure he's down there?"

"Hopefully. Otherwise we have to find a whole new location owned by Lex that could contain the machine he made Adam use to create the portal thing to that alternate earth,"

"So this is a fifty-fifty shot?"

"Give or take yeah,"

"Greeeaat,"

"Shut up," Tim said, pressing a button on his gauntlet opening up a holo-screen to check the time, "He should be out any minute." A few seconds later a flashing light appeared on the rooftop right across from the one where they stood and then the whole building went dark,

"That's our cue," Liam said grimly taking hold of the zip-line thing. He didn't actually have a harness, so he had to hold on and pray to God he didn't let go,

"You'll be fine. Just jump out and hold on tight. You might bounce a bit but…you know what, just hold on, you'll be fine. Once you get close pull up your feet to your chest, let go and roll,"

"Wait…roll? I've never rolled—,"

"—Go!" Tim hissed, giving Liam a push forward, "I'll be right behind you on my wings," Liam sent him a glare before gulping and leaping off the rooftop and into thin air. Liam wasn't that heavy. He was actually quite light for a six foot two guy. He was the only tall person in his family. Max wasn't that tall and Maud was only five one. Ali was around that height and Tori had Jack's height bringing her to five four. Liam soared through the air and he held on so tightly that he almost forgot to let go. When he did he fell heavily to the cement rooftop and rolled five times not on his own stopping eagle splayed on the cold pavement. Tim landed lightly on his feet thanks to his nice, safe and useful wings,

"I don't see why I couldn't have used the wings," Liam grumbled, getting to his feet, "You zip-lined around Gotham far longer than you flew with them,"

"I'd need to calibrate them for your height and weight and we didn't have time for that," Tim replied quietly, taking out his GPS device, "Adam's on the fifth floor which means we have a lot of air ducts to get through. Inside's probably chaos right now. Grant, how long until they get the lights back up and running,"

"About twenty minutes, maybe longer because I stole a piece from the fuse box. Depends on how long it takes them to realize it's missing and how long it takes for them to get a replacement as well as what the piece was because I have absolutely no clue," Liam had almost forgotten Grant was there. Seeing him was…odd. He looked strange to Liam. He still had his dark hair and topaz eyes. He was still four inches shorter than him. But he wore armor and held a machine gun, a taser and two different daggers. It was strange seeing his brother dressed for war…to see him ready to take on an army even if was just to defend one man who was blackmailing him into behaving. He wasn't sure how he felt about seeing him in person either. He'd ditched them right after their parents died. Sure, he had been in college…but clearly he dropped out or something and became…whatever he was now, which probably didn't require a college education. In fact…how did Grant even become who he was now…where had he gone and how did he get stuck under Lex's wing of all places? He'd have to ask Grant later because Liam wasn't sure he could even talk to him without hitting him. He completely disregarded Liam and their siblings in their moment of need and a betrayal like that ran deep,

"The door over there will lead to a hallway on the tenth floor. A vent will be about two feet to your right. The lights are out but the emergency lights are on…don't ask how…I don't know what I tugged out or what works and doesn't work so steer clear of security cameras if you can," Grant said. Tim nodded and moved to type something into his holo computer while Grant and Liam regarded each other warily. After a moment of silence Grant finally spoke to him,

"Are you going to punch me?" he asked, Liam blinked. Tim was typing fast and clearly trying to ignore the brothers,

"What?"

"You look angry enough to punch me," Grant said, moving to open the door leading into the building. They could hear pounding footsteps as people inside panicked and went about trying to fix whatever had been broken,

"I really really want to," Liam said, as Tim rose and started down the steps, "I didn't realize how badly I wanted to until now. How could you just abandon us? Right after mom and Max died…how could you just do that? And not only that but work for the guy who funded Mac's insane experiments…do you even know what he did to Tori? Do you even ca—," Liam was interrupted by a hand grabbing the back of his shirt and tugging him inside the stairwell,

"You can argue after this is done," Tim hissed. Liam glared at Tim as he stumbled slightly by the uneven placement of his feet on the stairs. The light, gleaming red above them flickered sisterly before steadying again, "Come on, let's go…and calm down. I know your angry and worried, but you really do need to calm down," he said as he started down the stairs. Liam sighed, but followed him,

"How are you so calm?" Liam asked as they neared the door that will lead to the hallway, "I don't under—,"

"Shh," Tim said, holding up his hand, halting Liam. They listened silently as footsteps pounded by the door, none of them stopping to check the roof. Tim gestured for Liam to stay there as he opened the door and turned right down the hallway. A second later he motioned Liam to follow him. The grate to the air ducts was leaned up against the wall and Tim was already crawling inside it. Liam nearly groaned out loud at the tight squeeze, but clamored in as quietly as he could, replacing the grate as he did so.

Once inside Tim pulled up whatever he'd hacked into on his holo-computer before turning to his right and heading down that duct's path,

"What is that?" Liam asked, his voice sounded tinny as it echoed off the vent's walls,

"The blueprints of the venting system," Tim replied, "and to answer your question from before. I've done this for a while. It tends to just be normal occurrence after your first year as a vigilante,"

"Yeah…I haven't even graduated to a week of vigilantism yet…and here I am," Liam muttered, crawling a few feet behind Tim,

"Well now you're clocking in some hours," Tim replied, turning left, Liam didn't say anything, he just tried to focus on his breathing…it felt like the walls were closing in on him. He wasn't claustrophobic, not the least…at least he didn't think he was. It was as if the vents reminded him of something but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Liam took another deep breath. He could feel is shirt stick to him, static…he always hated when that happened. But he ignored it, it wasn't like it was doing any harm,

"Liam. Relax. You're interfering with the GPS," Tim said,

"Sorry I—wait…what?" Liam exclaimed, probably much too loud since Tim stopped…but that didn't seem to be the case. Tim glanced back a Liam a frown on his face,

"I thought you knew and just didn't want people to know," he said,

"Knew what…what are you talking about," Liam asked, he could feel his heart race in panic…what was Tim talking about. Before he spoke, Tim's frown turned sympathetic,

"Liam…you're bionic."

* * *

"So the fleet of aliens experimenting on humans is under the ocean…who also kidnapped the King of the oceans' own protege…and Aquaman, the freaking before mentioned king of the ocean, didn't know about it?" Tori mused from where she and Robin stood on stacked shipping crates over a cage of scared kids waiting to be shipped onto a Reach—the name of the aliens trying to invade the earth as Nightwing finally told them—ship for who knew what. Tori felt antsy, she had sort of been in these kids' shoes before. She'd been taken and experimented on…and they were halfway to what she'd been through. She was glad they were going to get them out before anything horrible would be done to them—too bad there were still kids on board the ship who hadn't been spared though. Tim shot her a glare,

"It's a big ocean," he stated,

"Yeah, and he can control like…all the fish in the sea…and not one of them thought to mention 'oh Mr. King, there's a bunch of alien-like ships over by blah blah blah reef' or something?" Tori stated,

"I'm with Talon on this one," BumbleBee said from where she was fluttering by Tori's shoulder,

"Thank you Bee," she said, holding up her finger for a high-five,

"Ugh, focus…and I don't think he can actually talk to them, just enthrall them into helping him. He's not Percy Jackson,"

"Oh you read those books too?" Tori asked, grinning as he flushed slightly before rolling his eyes at her. BumbleBee snickered herself before Nightwing told them to get in position. Tori and Tim leapt down into the cage with the others. The kids looked shocked that someone would actually leap _into_ the cage with them. A blond girl stared at them dubiously standing up front while the other kids shrank back towards the other end of the cage,

"What are you—," Tim interrupted her by shushing her,

"We're here to help," he whispered,

"Ookay," she muttered, uncertainly as BumbleBee flew past her and into Tim's pocket. Tori looked at the blond girl. She looked very familiar…and dressed in a lot of purple,

"Is your name Stephanie?" Tori asked. The girl looked at her suspiciously and backed up slightly,

"What's it to you?" she demanded. Tori opened her mouth to explain when the guards patrolling the docks started ordering them out and into coffin like capsules.

 _'Oh I don't like this,'_ Tori thought, thinking momentarily of the capsule tubes Mac used to wipe her memory,

 _'What's wrong?'_ came Nightwing's voice. Tori jerked back in shock, thunking the side of her capsule,

 _'What the—'_

 _'Oh sorry! I linked us up telepathically'_ came M'gahn's voice. Tori freaked out momentarily, _'I'm so used to doing it that I didn't think to tell you or the others from the alternate world!'_

 _'So you can hear our most deprived thoughts?'_ came Jason's growl,

 _'Not unless you want us to,'_ Nightwing replied,

 _'This is messed up'_ Jason muttered,

 _'What don't you like?'_ Dick asked,

 _'Ummm…nothing,'_ Tori replied as they were submerged under the sea by the ship they were placed onto, _'But I can see why Jason was not picked for this part of the infiltration mission...oh and I found Stephanie!'_

 _'Grrreeeat,'_ Jason said, _'Another kid Batman is going to put into danger,'_

 _'Jason shush!'_ Dick warned, a few moments of mental silence before they docked up to the bigger ship where all the rest of the abductees and their missing teammates were,

 _'Okay. We're inside. A lot of aliens about…and Aqualad's goons,'_ Batgirl reported dutifully. Tori scanned the room they were in, it was…weird to say the least. It looked like the inside of a submarine but with a weird green outline and a material not exactly like the kind of metal they had on Earth,

 _'Uh-oh,'_ Batgirl said, _'I see Kaldur. If he makes us—,'_

 _'He won't,'_ Tori said, _'Think positive,'_ she added before anyone could ask her how she knew Kaldur wouldn't see them. They were wheeled down a bunch of hallways and into a wide open and circular room,

 _'Don't do anything until you see Gar, La'gahn, Bart and Jaime,'_ Nightwing stated,

 _'I see them,'_ Tori stated, _'We're in a room with them,'_

 _'and the other abductees,'_ Batgirl said, _'Where's Blue though…and Shimmer? Really?'_ Tori guessed this Shimmer person was not a good guy.

 _'Okay. Get everyone out. Go get our boys!'_ Nightwing said. Tori grinned in anticipation and brought her fist back as far as it would go before punching the glass into shattered shards. She then kicked out with her foot to heave the door of her pod from its hinges. Tori then moved to Stephanie's pod and used her dagger to hack the hinges off the door,

"See, here to help," Tori stated. Stephanie rolled her eyes before grouping with the others. Alarms had started blaring and they really needed to get back to the docking area. That was where Nightwing and the rest would be with the bioship—M'gahn's own mini spaceship,

"C'mon! Follow us!" Batgirl called, ushering the kids out into the hallway. Tori followed only to see that they turned right into a group of alien guards…with giant pointy staffs,

"Great directions!" Tori called, pulling out her short sword and dagger. She felt naked without her Talon suit, but she had to look civilian for this mission which meant fighting in regular clothes. Not something she's used to but she'll manage. Tori leapt in front of the kids as well as Robin and Batgirl slicing one of the alien's staffs in half before throwing a kick at his…or her…head. Tori sliced, swept and dodged their staffs and punches, slicing off the tips when she could. Robin and Batgirl were helping, but the kids were still there and they needed to get them out,

"Guys, go. I got this," Tori called to them,

"Are you sure?" Barbara demanded,

"Yes. _Go!"_ Tori said, slashing at another alien just as something shot by her ear. Spinning around she saw reinforcements rushing down the hall, apparently the staffs can shoot projectiles. Flipping over some of the shots she leapt and kicked at one of the aliens to her right. Robin appeared to have stayed despite her telling him to go and was being surrounded by a few of them. Tori started whipping her sword through the defenses of the aliens faster so she could get to Tim. Unfortunately one of the beams of light coming from the staffs hit her in the side…and it _burned_. Tori stumbled, shocked by the burst of pain the projectile caused…what was it? She wasn't supposed to feel pain. Her stumbled cost her, and ruined her momentum and another Reach alien slashed her across the face with her staff. Blinking blood out of her eyes she glared at the aliens, all sense leaving her until she just saw red.

With a snarl she started moving faster, not thinking about what she was doing, just falling back on what she was taught. She moved with dangerous speed from one alien to the next, disregarding everything she had worked on and learned from Bruce over the past few years. This kind of fighting hadn't happened in a while, not since November. She had been good until then but this time she snapped again. Eventually she started using killing blows. Oblivious to whether Tim was still there, watching or fighting or either of those things, she didn't care. All she cared about was her anger and the fact that these aliens were attempting to invade an earth and experiment on children. All she cared about was killing those who did wrong.

Suddenly someone's shoulder rammed into her from the side and she was slammed into the metal wall of the ship. Tori let out a growl that was a little less than human and moved to hurtle herself at that person only to be slammed back into the wall. It was Dick, and he looked furious and concerned at the same time, but that didn't stop Tori from trying to launch herself into the nonexistent fray. There were no alien's left. They were either unconscious, severely injured…dead or dying. Dick grabbed her wrists and twisted them until they were on the verge of snapping and her hands reacted enough to force her to drop the swords she still held. Her chest was heaving and there was a rushing pounding in her ears as she tried to run down the halls to find the rest of the bastards on the ship only to be slammed back again,

"Tori! _Stop it!"_ Dick yelled at her, "You are out of _control_. Calm yourself down. Say it!" Tori only glared and tried once more to get out of his reach only to be slammed back into the wall. Dick pressed his forearm into her throat a glare and frown in place, _"Say it,"_ he growled dangerously,

"Justice…not vengeance," she muttered though she still moved forward. Dick pushed her back against the ship's wall, digging his arm in harder. He should know it wouldn't do anything, she couldn't feel it…though her air was starting to be cut off by the pressure,

 _"Again,"_ he demanded, "You're still not yourself,"

"Justice not vengeance…justice not vengeance," Tori said, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths,

"Talon?" Dick asked, slowly letting his elbow drop, "Are you…calmer?"

"Justice not vengeance…justice not vengeance, justice not vengeance," she muttered a few more times before letting out a breath and sinking to her knees,

"How many?" she asked,

"Tori…,"

"—How many?" she demanded. Tori needed to know how many she killed,

"Ten maybe fifteen," Dick said finally, "What triggered it?" The 'it' Dick meant was the blood lust. The need to do what her instinct told her to do…to kill. The Court crafted that instinct so it was the first thing she fell back on, the only thing she could do for a mission or when attacked…and that instinct was something she still had trouble controlling. Tori sighed, standing again to look at the carnage. Bodies and unconscious forms littered the hallway. Green blood…strange but logical seeing their light green skin color…puddling on the floor,

"One of them got me with those laser projectiles…it actually hurt and threw me…then another one got me in the face with the sharp end and I went off," Dick opened his mouth to say something when another voice beat him to it,

"What the hell was that?" It was Tim…he'd been there the whole time. Tori felt a flash of panic and fear. He would judge her, he would tell Nightwing and then everyone would know what kind of monster she was, "How could you kill those aliens!"

"Tim. I know you don't understand—," Dick started,

"—don't understand? The only thing I understand is that she killed people…well aliens invading the earth…but that's beside the point! I thought Batman trained her! I thought she was one of us! You even said so! She acted like an anim—,"

"—Robin enough!" Dick snapped. Tori flinched at both his tone and Robin's unfinished allegation. He was saying she acted like an animal…and that cut her deeper than she thought an alternate version of her brother could. Robin had cut himself off, Dick had put enough of a Batman growl in his voice to quiet him, but what he said still rang in her head _animal, animal, animal._ Robin opened his mouth to say something else just as a loud crash sounded through the ship,

"That came from the docking area," Tori said mutely, "We need to go…now," with that they all sprinted down the hallways of the large submarine like ship,

"We are not done with this discussion!" Tim growled at them as they ran.

Upon arriving they found Superboy unconscious on the ground and the rest of the team battling a giant…,

"Beetle?" Tori stated confused, "A giant Black Beetle?"

"Like Jaime…only…bigger and well, evil," Dick said, activating the electricity component of his eskirma stick, "Well you know how it is, the bigger they are the harder they fall," with that he launched himself into the fray. Tori right behind him and Robin a second later. They flipped and jumped and used their surrounds as much as possible. When dealing with a large and dangerous opponent, you need to be fast and versatile. Land your blows hard and fast, then get the hell out of the way. But this guy seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. The only thing that could do any real damage were Tori's swords,

"Use them more. They slow him down," Dick huffed to her as he twisted midair to avoid a blast from his morphed hand gun,

"Not much," Tori muttered frowning as she leapt up off the wall attempting to stab him in the chest. An obvious move, but she wanted to see how fast his reaction time really was. The gigantic Beetle threw up his hand and smacked her out of the air like a volleyball and into the wall leaving a small dent, "Okay, reaction time: very, very fast," Tori wheezed due to her rib puncturing her lung. Good thing she healed fast though otherwise she wouldn't have had time to roll away from his next blast,

"This isn't working!" Tori called to Dick, Babs and Tim. Cassie was out, as was Superboy and no one was anywhere in sight since the doors were closed. She missed when that had happened, "Let's try something different," Tori muttered to herself. She sheathed her swords and sprinted at the Beetle, leaping as he tried to swipe at her and grabbing the horn like spikes poking out of his back where the scarab was attached and throwing herself over him using her momentum to heave him off his feet and into the wall. She knew she was showing off inhuman strength, but Tim had already seen something of what she was hiding. There was no point in hiding anymore, not when lives were in danger because of some evil Beetle. He flew through the air and into another wall. The clang loud and brilliant, the dent even more so. He stumbled to his feet growling in anger, his hand morphing into a sword. Tori grinned,

"Oh, you like swords do you?" she asked, "As you've seen, so do I," with that she pulled out her short sword and launched into a single sword battle with the goon,

"You fight well for a human," he stated a few minutes in as he swiped for her head only to find that it wasn't there to be cut off,

"I know, though I'm hardly human," she stated quietly. He appeared to have heard her though,

"I can tell…there's something…off-putting about you," he mused, thrusting for her heart. Tori flipped away, landing lightly on her feet to block his next attack,

"I get that a lot,"

"My scientists will have so much fun picking you apart when I'm done dealing with you and your team," he snarled with a dark smirk. Tori almost lost it again, the mention of being picked apart…that had already happened once…she wouldn't let that happen again in one fight. Even so, she was calmer than before and she remembered what she had done and what she didn't want to do again. Even if this goon was an evil little dick,

"I wonder how well you'll deal with us…" Tori started, her voice full of loathing and scratching with a growl, as she ran forward and leapt up onto his swiping hand and from there and used it as a springboard to launch herself into the air, "Without you hand!" she crowed as she swiped down with her short sword as she fell towards the ground. His screeching cry was almost musical to her ears as she rolled away to stand near Batgirl and Robin, she could feel the smirk on her face,

"Sharpest metal in the world," she stated proudly as she stood. Jason whistled from where he stood trying in vain to hack the doors back open to the bioship. Sadly he was not as gifted with hacking as Tori, Robin or Babs were. Though he was decent at it,

"That was hot!" he called and Tori grinned,

"Thanks babe!" though her grin faded as the Black Beetle rose, a glower on his face as a hand grew back where the stump used to be,

"Okay…well that's just cheating," she whined slightly as she prepared to duck and roll away form whatever it was he was going to do. Thankfully he was distracted by Cassie and Dick both delivering a blow from behind him and he turned around, allowing for Robin and Barbara to try and taser him. It didn't work and he calmly turned to shot at them…with _staples!_ Giant metal _staples_. The same material as his Beetle suit,

"Look out!" Tori called, tackling Robin out of the way just as the staple meant for Robin slammed into her own stomach. She was thrown through the air and into the wall for the billionth time that day and from the uncomfortable pinching sensation it was punched through her stomach. Tori glanced down, oblivious to the fighting going on to check where the staple had landed. She groaned, it had gone through her stomach and right into the wall. Blood was pooling around it and she could feel everything straining and trying to heal itself but couldn't due to the object interfering with the process,

"Okay, okay. I can get out of this," she muttered to herself as she placed the palms of her hands on the wall and pushed against it. The staple wouldn't budge and it only made the strange sensation she was feeling stronger, "What is _in_ the metal on this ship?" Tori demanded. It was affecting the Electrum in her system slightly. Not stopping her healing factor, just the no pain factor...and the healing factor a little bit,

"I am literally pinned to the wall like a bug," she muttered, just as Robin was slammed into the wall as well, "Robin…Robin?… _Robin!"_ Tori cried, shifting as much as she could to see that he was unconscious. She shifted even more to try and see if it impaled him too. Thankfully it only trapped him in place, not injured him. Letting out a sight of relief Tori looked out at the fighting to see that Jason had given up on the doors and was now fighting alongside Babs and Dick. Superboy and Cassie were down again and M'gahn was somehow stuck in the door…which was weird…but that didn't matter. Jason couldn't shoot his guns in the ship. The pressure if he missed and hit a window would crush them and with the armor Black Beetle was wearing would rebound any bullet shot his way…Jason was practically naked out there,

"Hood!" she called, he glanced her way, flipped over a punch and darted over to her. He moved to pull her free only to stop as she frantically shook her head,

"I tried. Take my swords. You need them more than I do," Jason snagged them from the ground and leapt back into the fight. Dick was down and it seemed to be only Jason and Babs against him, the odds were not in their favor. Suddenly the door opened and out stepped Jaime…and he looked pissed. The two Beetles regarded each other before simultaneously launching themselves at each other. Jason and Barbara took that as time to leave. Jason ushered the kids down the hallway through the now opened door to the bioship. La'gahn, who had been fighting the whole time, he was just out of Tori's sight for most of the fighting, which was mostly a blur of motion and attacks, moved to grab Dick and head there as well. It seemed they were trying to evacuate. Superboy was up and carried Cassie down and that left BeastBoy, as a gorilla, to help Tori and Robin who were stuck to the wall. As he neared and reached for her Tori shook her head,

"No. Get him first," she said,

"Are you sure?" he growled,

"Do it!" she snapped slightly, moving her hand to cover the puncture point. Garfield nodded and quickly carried Tim away. Water had somehow started to fill the ship and it was creeping towards her feet…Tori knew it would be cold and she was not ready to go into a forced Snow White coma again so she tucked her feet to her chest. The fight going on was epic and loud and slightly terrifying…they would destroy the ship and everyone on it if they kept it up. Garfield finally returned and moved to take the staple out,

"Wait…uh…can't you just pull me out with it?" Tori asked,

"And break something?" Gar asked skeptically, "I don't know how deep the staple is…and we need to leave ASAP," Tori sighed and removed her hand. Garfield's eyes widened when he saw the staple had gone through her,

"Gar, just do it," Tori said,

"But…"

"Do it! I won't feel a thing," Tori assured him, _I hope_ , she added in her head. BeastBoy nodded and with a grimace yanked the staple out. Tori gasped as a flare of pain rippled through her and she fell of the wall. Garfield caught her before she could hit the water and hurried off down the hall,

"I'll tell Nightwing—,"

"—no! You'll say nothing. Promise me you'll say nothing!" Tori growled at the boy. Garfield looked at her confused but saw the glaring threat in her eyes,

"Fine," he muttered dejectedly. As they neared the bioship Tori could hear Jason arguing with Nightwing,

"We are _not_ closing the God damned doors until Tori and the kid are back inside here!" Nightwing's reply was lost as Garfield leapt through the doorway and deposited Tori onto the floor…which caused her to toppled over as soon as her feet hit the water filled floor. It was freezing. Jason caught her and lifted her up off the ground. The doors closed and the water disappeared as the bioship moved away from the sinking submarine. Jason put Tori down and handed her back her swords, which she took gratefully,

"Are you hurt?" she asked, eyeing him. Jason was a little scratched up, a deeper wound on his arm and a burn on his collar bone, but other than that he seemed fine. Dick was holding his wrist and grimacing, and leaning more heavily on his left foot rather than his right, but they didn't seem to be broken…at least the foot didn't. His hand was looking swollen. Tori could see Garfield staring at her from across the ship and feel Robin's glare as well so she moved so that Jason was in front of her,

"What's wrong?" Jason asked, putting his hands gently on her arms,

"Take a look at my puncture wound," she murmured quietly, very aware of Superboy sitting nearby, "The metals on that ship…and the projectiles interfered with my no pain factor, but I don't know if the healing factor has been hindered badly. Is it still bleeding?" Jason glanced down, moving the fabric slightly out of the way,  
"No," he whispered, "You're fine," Tori sighed with relief before wrapping her arms around him in a hug. They stood like that for the duration of the time it took to return to the surface.

* * *

A/N: I didn't know if I was going to go with the Liam being Bionic angle, but I ended up going with it. I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions on that.

Additionally, I don't know if BeastBoy can specifically speak when he's in an animal form. I think in some adaptions he can and in others he can't...so for this he can. Also, I had forgotten to put La'gahn in the fight seen before when I had originally wrote this chapter...lol...so I put him in at the end. Sorry any La'gahn fans, but I hadn't really included him in this story that much to begin with.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Next chapter on Monday!


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 37

 _"What!"_ Liam cried, definitely much to loud, his head came up and thunked into the top of the air vent as he felt panic rush over him like a tsunami. Sparks… _literalsparks_ flickered around his hands and up his arms. He gasped and ripped his palms from the metal flooring of the vents in surprise. This was just too much…it wasn't possible, he couldn't be…he _couldn't_ be bionic. But, he _actually_ could. He barely remembered what had happened after he found the lab…he only remembered some of it. He only remembered the time it took him to find it, the small glimpse he had inside it and then nothing until he woke up and Cassidy was in front of him flocked by her goons. There was a block missing, they must have erased part of his memory,

"Liam. Calm down. I know you're freaking out right now…but I need you to calm down. If you break this device we'll never find him in this maze of a building," Tim was saying,

"You're telling me to calm down," Liam stated, "after telling me that I'm bionic and have _fucking superpowers!"_

"Yes. Specifically powers that are centered around _electricity_ …and we are currently in a _metal_ vent system…so if you want to fry us go ahead and lose complete control over yourself," Tim stated, moving forward again until he came to a stop, pulled his legs in front of him and leap down a drop in the vent system. They must be going down a floor. Liam was still reeling from what Tim had said, but he forced himself to follow the vigilante down the shaft and into the next section of vents. They continued along through the vents silently for a minute or two, going down another shaft to the eighth floor,

"I'm sorry for dropping this all on you. I thought you knew,"

"What on earth could possibly make you think I knew I was bionic," referring the word bionic for himself felt weird. Sure he had worked in the building and for the people creating these superpower chips under false pretenses in an attempt to weaponize the people implanted with them, he had not known what was really going on or suspect them until later…and he'd been so low down on the food chain that he didn't really matter to anyone who worked there…why would they choose _him_ to become bionic,

"I don't know you! I don't know your habits and how you normally act. I thought you were lying when you said the lights in your dorm building flicker randomly all the time…it just seemed like…well…you _knew_ ," Liam didn't say anything for a moment,

"Why me?"

"I don't know…and sadly since Tori murdered Cassidy we'll never know,"

"What about Mac?"

"I wouldn't know and there's no way to talk to him. He's still in custody and awaiting trial," Tim replied,

"I need to know why," Liam said, "I was pretty much a guppy surrounded by sharks in that place. I wasn't even a street kid,"

"Neither was Tori," Tim stated, "Maybe Cassidy recognized you. Maybe this was their plan all along, they were just waiting for you to find the lab," he slid down to the next level Liam following close behind. They crawled in silence for a few moments before a thought struck Liam,

"Oh my God…do I have the Triton App?" he gasped,

"Liam…um…don't think about that," Tim said though it sounded like he was going to say something else,

"Oh my God, I do don't I?" Liam asked, not dropping the subject. A spark flew from his hand making a hissing noise in the silence of the vents,

"Liam," Tim hissed,

"Sorry," Liam snapped back as they dropped down another level, "Who knew they had vents connected through each level," he mused, momentarily distracted,

"It's kind of stupid on their part," Tim agreed, "One more drop and then we'll have to be stealthy and make our way to the room where Adam's being held,"

"Can't we just take the vent there?"

"According to the blueprints the section of the vents we're in don't enter that room. They stop a hallway or two away from where he is,"

"Great," Liam huffed, "I'm so not ready for this,"

"Well think of it this way Sparky, once we're out of here you can freak out as much as you want as long as you take out a few guards with you,"

"I hope that was a joke," Liam grumbled, "And Sparky? Really?"

"Well you do spark,"

"Then I'll just call you Restaurant Boy," Liam replied with a smirk. Tim groaned,

"I get enough of that from Jason,"

"Never call me Sparky and I'll never call you Restaurant Boy,"

"Deal," Tim stated before sliding down the final shaft. Liam followed and shortly they reached the end of the vent system. Tim silently kicked out the frame and pulled himself out. He gestured for Liam to stay before looking out and around the area to make sure they were completely alone. The lights were still out giving the hallways a creepy CSI set feel…which did not calm his already haywire nerves. Tim finally waved him forward and together they crept down the halls to the room where Adam was supposedly hiding. It was behind a locked door. Tim crept forward and pulled out a lock picking kit,

"Keep an eye out. The guards may be patrolling the building if they found out a piece from the fuse box is missing," he said,

"And what am I supposed to do if they come over here?" Liam hissed, already peering out around the corner,

"Oh I don't know, taser them?" he said like it was obvious,

"With what?"

"You're hands doofus," Tim replied, "You know, because you're Sparky?" Liam glared at him, opening his mouth to growl at him when Tim beat him to it,

"Yeah, sorry. Last time I promise,"

"You're so annoying,"

"I get that a lot….oh, and we're in," Tim said opening the door. They dashed inside to find a nice living room with a flat screen tv an antique rug and floor to ceiling windows as well as a bar stocked with various wines, beers and scotch. Next to all that was a series of monitors and machines hooked up to a larger tube like machine in which a boy was trapped inside. He was dressed in blood spattered clothes and looked very tired and worse of wear,

"Adam!" Tim cried, rushing forward and starting to hack the nearest keyboard. Liam moved nearby as well, examining the various parts of the machine,

"Crap. I can't hack this. It's triple encrypted, plus it requires three separate passwords,"

"Can't you try?"

"Yeah, if we had two weeks of nonstop hacking time," Tim snapped, "It's time for plan B," he said taking out a batarang. In just that moment the kid, Adam, looked startled and rapped on the glass of the tube,

"Don't worry we aren't going to hurt you," Liam said as Tim approached him. Adam shook his head and jerked it at something…something behind them. Liam and Tim whirled around just as the lights in the building flickered back on,

"Well hello Timothy…it seems you've stuck your nose where it doesn't belong yet again," It was Lex Luthor. Panic rushed in again and Adam's back smacked against the other side of his prison rather loudly, "And it seems you've brought a friend,"

"We know you funded Mac's experiments when the Court refused to aid him anymore, and we're not the only ones who do. The best you can do is turn yourself in,"

"And why would I do that?" Lex said, guards were filtering in, machine guns and daggers and they looked very, very ruthless. Liam felt sick to his stomach, "Adam will not testify against me, his fear of me is too great. Other than him…and perhaps Liam Crowne over here—oh and if you're going to go gallivanting around with vigilantes, the best you can do is wear a mask—there are no witnesses," There was one, his brother, but Liam wasn't about to rat him out,

"Your word wouldn't count, Timothy. You work outside the law. And as a matter of fact…you are breaking and entering Mr. Crowne…this doesn't bode well for you,"

"We do have more evidence," Liam stated, surprising himself and Tim, "Emails. You sent emails out concerning meetings and payments that needed to go out regarding Mac's experiments. You sent them to a middle man and we got them," he didn't want to say hacked in case this was being recorded. If it was discovered that the emails were hacked into it wouldn't be viable evidence. Lex made a face,

"Hmm. You mean Grant's email? Did he give it to you or did you hack into it?" Liam nor Tim answered, "It hardly matters. I know he let you in the building," with that he nodded to one of the guards and the spoke into a radio he was carrying with him. A moment later two guards marched in dragging a third between them. Liam's legs nearly buckled, it was Grant. Bloody and bruised…alive but slightly injured, "Now. This is what's going to happen. Either you—," Lex pointed at Liam, "—come with us and cooperate or we kill your brother where he stands," Liam panicked. If he went with them he and Grant could be held for ransom…Liam shook his head, they didn't have any parents and Arthur didn't care about either of them…why would he need both of them,

"Why would you need—,"

"—He wants to blackmail Tori into not testifying in court against Mac. Other than you and Adam, she's the only one with any real sway against Mac…though there are the few kids we've found," Liam frowned at Lex, still trying to decide what to do. Tim continued though addressing Lex,

"You don't want your name being mentioned in the court either, do you? And for some reason you want this plan to continue even if kids are being hurt and killed in the process," Tim interrupted, "This is not your MO Luthor. Yes the need for money and power, but not the death of innocent kids and teens…why are you really doing this?" Lex looked frustrated,

"It's not that simple. The players on the other world are more powerful than I knew…and the one in charge over there is something I wouldn't like to deal with again,"

"Again?" Tim asked, "Who is…? Is it Vandal? We've had problems with him in the past… _he's_ in charge of whatever the alternate world is doing?" Lex ignored him,

"Am I going to have to kill your brother or will I have to kill you?" he snarled at Liam. Grant let out a snarl and surged upwards, breaking the guards' holds on him,

"Don't you touch him!" Grant yelled as he punched one guard in the face and elbowed the other in the side of the head before leaping towards Lex only to be stopped by two other guards. Before Liam could do anything Tim launched himself into the brewing fight, stopping two of the guards from shooting Grant with their guns with two blows from his bo staff. Liam stood by the console, unsure what to do…he wasn't a fighter…but he was bionic. It was a little contradictory. He was supposed to be a super soldier, yet he didn't know how to fight,

"Liam!" Tim called from where he stood fighting the guards. Liam snapped his head in his direction, "Duck!" Tim yelled, he launched himself at Liam and they both tumbled to the ground as bullets soared after Tim. Clearly Liam was kind of in the way without really trying. From where they crouched behind the monitors and machines Liam took a moment to make sure he wasn't riddled with bullets as Tim glanced at the fighting, lowering himself back on his knees, though, Liam thought he saw the vigilante wince…but figured he was just seeing things. Grant had somehow gotten a gun and was picking them off one by one, moving from one area of cover to the next. He couldn't tell if Grant was killing them or just wounding them,

"Try and get Adam out. We need to get out of here yesterday," Tim said before leaping over the console and back into the fighting. Liam sighed before crouching slightly and looking at the console…it was a complex piece of machinery,

"He asks me to get his friend out, but does he ask me if I know how?" he muttered to himself. He glanced over at Adam, watching the fight with fear and slight awe. He then looked back at the keyboard before rolling his eyes and muttering, "Fuck it," he grimaced and closed his eyes as he slapped his hands down on the piece of machinery. There was sparking and a loud almost miniature explosion as he overloaded the device with electricity. The tube's door slid open and Adam stumbled out. Liam caught him as he slumped and saw that a few bullets had ripped through the glass,

"Shit," he muttered looking up and around for someone who had medical training…or was at least knowledgeable in that aspect and only saw Grant, smacking a goon in the head with the butt of his gun, "Grant, get over here!" he called, lying Adam down and looking for the wounds. There were few but the bullets were still in the wounds that were there. Liam knew exactly what that felt like,

"You'll be fine Adam," Grant said, taking a roll of bandages out from a pocket and balling them into pads. He handed one to Liam, nodding to the bullet wound near his lower left side as he used one for Adam's shoulder wound, "Put pressure on it to stop the bleeding. They're not fatal but we do need to get the bullets out and stitch up the holes and we don't know if a vein was nicked or not. Also, sepsis is not very fun and very likely if we don't get him help soon—like real medical attention…,"

"Red Robin!" Liam called, "We need to leave now!" Grant looked down at Adam,

"I need you to teleport. Anywhere, just get all of us out of this building,"

"B-but…" Adam groaned unable to finish his sentence,

"Yeah…it'll hurt. But it'll work," Grant stated seriously as Tim tumbled over to them. They all grabbed onto Adam,

"Take us to Wayne Manor. You know what it looks like. Take us to the Cave," Tim told Adam as bullets sailed over their head and pounding feet neared them,

"I took the others to a cave before…" Adam muttered. His words slightly slurred,

"No! Don't think of the other world!" Grant cried, but it was took late. There was a loud whistling pop before blackness.

* * *

Tori and the rest of the team arrived back at the warehouse in Bludhaven they were calling their base after dropping the kids off with some of the remaining members of the Justice League. Everyone was exhausted. It had been a long night, especially for Tori. Nightwing had sent the younger heroes to get food and medical supplies for themselves. The warehouse they used was connected to another one that had a medical area. Tori was there with Nightwing and Jason, helping them stitch up wounds and ice swollen limbs,

"It's not broken," Tori told him. Lighting poking and prodding his ankle, "But your wrist might be,"

"Thank you Dr. Tori. It's not like I didn't know that," Dick bit out, glaring at his injured appendages, "You really let go out there Tor. They'll ask questions," Tori sighed, glancing at Nightwing and Tim—Robin—who were chatting intensely in the corner by the entrance to the second half of their base; then at Garfield who was eyeing her curiously as M'gahn, with a worried and clearly guilt ridden expression—for some reason that Tori didn't know—, wrapped up a cut he got. Cassie was wrapping up her shoulder while icing the other one and Bart was having a clearly animate discussion with Jaime about something. La'gahn and Superboy were off somewhere either both sulking or glaring at each other,

"I know. But what else was I supposed to do?"

"I'm not saying you were wrong—well you were wrong when you killed all those aliens—," Tori rolled her eyes at this. Not in a rude way but she knew that he was just waiting to lecture her about that, "But throwing that guy into the wall and cutting off his _hand?_ That was overboard and they noticed it. I thought you didn't want them knowing? And since we still have no way home we still need them to trust us,"

"When did all that killing happen?" Jason asked, "Can you knot this stupid suture for me?" he added, shuffling over careful not to tug on the stitched up slash on his arm. She stepped over to help,

"When we were getting the abductees to the bioship," Dick said, "Thankfully only Tim was there,"

"Then he's definitely ratting Tori out to Nightwing right now," Jason said, snipping the end of the knot that Tori had made for him, "I'm going to get a beer,"

"This is a teen hideout, they don't have beer!" Tori called after him,

"A coke than. Whatever! Oh and Dick, there's donuts in the fridge!"

"No, don't you dare—," Tori started only to put a hand to her head as Dick leap off the table, stumbled and nearly fell before hobbling off after Jason. Tori sighed in annoyance…now they had both left them alone with judge-y jerk number one and judge-y jerk number two. She could feel their stares on the back of her head and hear their footsteps near. Before they could corner her though there was a loud popping noise followed by four loud grunts,

"What the—!" Nightwing cried. Tori whirled around to see a very odd sight. Her brother, her other brother and some guy in an almost military-like uniform splayed out on the floor crouching over another very familiar looking bionic kid,

"Liam?!" Tori cried in shock,

"Tori," Liam said simply, blinking slightly,

"Tori!" Tim cried, leaping to his feet, and glancing around the room with his bo staff out clearly looking for any threats,

"What the hell is going on here!" Nightwing growled marching over to them clearly startling the kid—Adam, the young bionic who brought Tori, Dick and Jason to this world—who appeared wounded on the floor. Robin not far behind and the rest of the team pooling around nearby,

"No! Adam don't!" cried the armored man—he sounded familiar—right before he, Adam and Liam all disappeared again with a distinguished pop. Tori blinked as Tim glared down at the spot where they had all just been,

"Now I know how you, Dick and Jason felt when Adam ditched you here," he grumbled,

"Red!" Tori cried gleefully moving to launch herself at him for a hug, but he held up his hand,

"No jumping hugs Tori. I…well—," he glanced at the company they had, "—kinda have a bullet wound…or two,"

"Timothy Jackson Drake what did you do!" Tori growled at him,

"Don't full name me!"

"What just happened, where were you and how did you even find Adam!"

"I was—," Tim started,

"Timmy!" it was Dick. He and Jason had returned from the kitchen,

"Ha. Now you're stuck here too loser," Jason sneered half-heartedly,

"No time for jokes or hugs, he's been shot let's fix him up!"

"Wait! Hold up! What the hell is going on here!" Robin yelled. All four alternate worlders finally really noticed the audience they had. Tim zeroed in on Robin who had just spoken while the rest all watched on with confused expressions,

"Okay! Everyone out!" Nightwing called,

"No way. I'm staying. I want to know what the hell is going on!" Robin snapped,

"Is that me?" Tim asked. Tori grinned impishly and nodded,

"Was I really that short?"

"Trust me Replacement, you sure were," Jason said as the rest of the team marched out, still clearly curious as to what just happened,

"You're _me?"_ Robin asked,

"Yeah. From another world that is," Tim replied as he unbuckled his cape/wing harness and tossed it on the ground before un-zipping the kevlar lined and plated armored tunic, wincing a little at the movement. Tori fetched some tweezers, a bandage and suture thread and Tim pulled off his blood stained under armor shirt, sucking in a breath as he did so. Only two had hit him. One in his shoulder and the other grazed his side,

"I got it," he said flatly as Dick took the tweezers.

"Fine yeesh," Nightwing and Robin watched eyebrows raised as Tim took out the bullet and sewed up the wounds himself without so much of a grunt or two of pain,

"So. What have you guys been up to?" he asked as he tied the sutures,

"Fighting aliens. Getting sidelined a lot," Dick said,

"Getting attacked by an insane Wolf and Superboy," replied Tori,

"Nearly getting blown up again," Jason growled, angrily sipping from his coke bottle,

"So a normal Tuesday?" Tim joked as he put his suit back on,

"Eh more or less," they all said with a shrug,

"Okay, now a hug?" Tori asked,

"Fine," Tim said, rolling his eyes. Tori squealed and gave her brother a big hug,

"Okay, great, you got your hug. Now…what the hell just happened?" Nightwing asked,

"Well…a wounded bionic kid who I just rescued—,"

"With the help of my brother apparently! Why the hell would you bring him with you! He's got no training!" Tim grimaced,

"Well…I didn't exactly get permission for this rescue mission…"

"Ohhhh B is going to kill you," Jason chuckled,

"We were spread thin with you guys gone. This needed to be done. Through this unauthorized rescue mission I also found out who funded Mac's experiments on our world,"

"We found out that almost the same thing is happening on this world only concerning biology and mutations, not technology," Dick said,

"Who's the funder?" Tori asked intently,

"Lex Luthor,"

"Of course it is," Jason said bitterly,

"You're getting side tracked. What _happened?"_ Nightwing said,

"Oh, well…we got caught, but we got Adam out so now Lex has no way to communicate or go to and from this world and your brothers and I teleported away…unfortunately um…this world's Nightwing startled him which was why he teleported away again. He was also injured—,"

"—Wait…did you say _brothers!_ As in plural!" Tori nearly screeched. Tim winced again, "Did you bring Cameron with you!"

"No! It wasn't Cameron, he's twelve I'm not an idiot!"

"Then who—," Tori blinked, "Oh…Grant…why the hell was he there,"

"Ten bucks he says Grant's working for Lex," Jason muttered, taking another swing from his coke bottle,

"Seriously Jay, you're drinking that like it's beer…stop it's weird," Dick muttered,

"I wish it were beer. And shut up. Don't tell me how to live my life," Jason snapped back. Tori glared at them before giving Tim a questioning look,

"Yeah…he was working for Lex,"

"God damnit Grant," Tori sighed,

"That's not all," Tim said, "Lex was going to use Grant and Liam to blackmail you into not testifying against Mac,"

"Will this never end," Tori groaned,

"Don't worry Tori," Tim said putting a hand on her shoulder, "I got both Liam and Grant out. Ali and Cameron are in Gotham with Stephanie…or at least with their Uncle so if Lex tries anything they'll be fine,"

"How many siblings do you have!" Robin interrupted. Everyone glanced at Robin and Nightwing, still standing there listening and wanting answers,

"Um…five," Tori said,

"We didn't know that," Nightwing said, "We apparently didn't know a lot about you guys," he was glaring as he said this,

"Yeah. Like why you fight with swords. Why do you fight differently than any of us…oh and why you went to my house!" Robin snapped,

"You're still mad about that?" Dick asked,

"I'm only mad because I don't understand why!" Tim look at Tori in surprise,

"You went to Drake Manor? Why?" Tori gave him a look,

"You know why," Realization flickered across his face followed by a saddened frown,

"Oh," he said stiffly,

"You know why! Why were they there," Robin demanded,

"Tim. This isn't why we're—," Nightwing started,

"Because we're half-siblings," Tori interrupted,

"What?" Both Nightwing and Robin echoed,

"Tori and I are half-siblings," Tim said hollowly, his thoughts still probably on his dead father and mother,

"I never grew up in Drake Manor…I wanted to see it," Tori said. It was a lie and it rolled thickly off her tongue, but they didn't know if Jack would die in this world and they wouldn't want to place that burden of knowledge on Robin's shoulders. Especially if it doesn't happen,

"But how…? Does that mean you're related to Dick too?" Robin asked Tim,

"No, we share the same father. Dick's related to Tori's mother's side of the family," Tim explained,

"I…okay, wow. How long have you known that?"

"Well I knew for two years…this ass has known for four!" Tori stated,

"Well, to be fair we all thought you were dead," Jason replied, earning a glare from all three of the other alternate worlders,

"Hey, aren't there Crownes—," Tim started,

"I don't exist here," Tori said,

"You don't?" Tim asked surprised,

"Yeah. No survivors from the Crowne Manor Fire," Tori stated,

"Interesting,"

"Okay. This is not the point. This is not why Robin or I came over here. We came over here because you lied to us," Nightwing stated, glaring at Tori,

"You should hardly be giving us a lecture on lying," Jason snarled,

"I do when innocent lives are at stake," Nightwing said in an equal tone, "She killed aliens on that ship. She was out of control from what Robin told me. I cannot condone that. I usually kick people off the team or arrest them for that kind of behavior but given your…unique…situation I will give you a chance to explain yourself," Tori stood in silence…pondering whether she should explain why she did what she did. But that would involve talking about the Court, William Cobb, her death and so much of what she never liked to discuss. She wasn't sure that would even clear her in this Nightwing's eyes, but they still needed them to get home…Adam was wounded and they don't know how seriously teleporting messed with his wounds. Steeling herself and taking a deep breath she opened her mouth only to close it as a hand fell on her shoulder,

"You don't have to explain anything," Tim said, shooting a glare at Nightwing, "We don't need them. Once Adam is healed he can find us just by picturing one of us and teleporting. You don't owe them anything Tori,"

"Then you'll have to leave," Nightwing said, "Murderers cannot be here,"

"She is _not_ a murderer. Just because you don't understand why she acted the way she did doesn't make her a monster…she's not the villain you're making her out to be," Dick snapped,

"It's not just the fact that she kills that's causing this decision. It's what else she—and all of you—have hidden from us. She exhibited extreme speed, agility, and strength while fighting, and you all knew and know why yet you didn't tell us," Barbara said, entering the room—probably eavesdropping in her bat trained way—and walking up to stand next to Nightwing, "We know you are us from another world, but we hardly know you and if her presence doesn't prove it, the differences between our world and your's shows that we are truly different versions of ourselves…and we've been betrayed before. You have to understand why we are taking this angle," silence reigned as all eyes turned to Tori,

"It's your choice," Jason said, "You heard Tim. We don't need these assholes," Tori bit her lip, still warring over what to do, what to say and how to say it when a new voice interrupted all thoughts of explanation,

"How are you still standing?!" It was Garfield. He marched over to the group with a huge puzzled expression, "You're wounded…how are you still standing!" All eyes again shifted to Tori. She stared back even as Jason groaned and muttered,

"Damn it," Nightwing eyed Tori warily,

"Wounded?" he asked,

"It's nothing. Just a scratch really," she said as she shot a glare at Garfield. _You said you wouldn't say anything you little…tattle_ she thought bitterly,

"No it wasn't! It was the giant staple…it went right through her!"

"Tori?" Nightwing said, a hint of worry in his tone,

"Oh so now you care for the so called murderer," she growled,

"He could be lying for all we know," Jason said,

"No! I pulled it out when I got her! It was covered in blood!"

"He's just a kid—," Jason started,

"—he's not lying. I heard you and Tori talking on the bioship. She wanted you to make sure it had stopped bleeding," Superboy said, stepping into the room as well,

"Lying again?" Babs said skeptically,

"More like withholding information," Jason replied icily,

"If you're injured we need to—," Nightwing started,

"—No. I am not injured. I don't need help—" Tori said, "—But I can explain,"

"Tori…are you sure?" Dick asked, "You don't need to,"

"No. It's fine, but be warned it's a very, very, very long story," Nightwing glanced at everyone who had entered the room and gathered around the vigilantes from the alternate world,

"We're listening."

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A/N: So...I'd really love to hear what you all think of the Liam being Bionic angle. I haven't received any comments regarding that or about anything in fact. I'm trying not to be pushy, but please:

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Next chapter on Monday as usual.

I'm actually close to the end of this story. I still haven't decided if there will be a fourth part. And if there is it would be going into the future. I don't know how many people like those kinds of stories, but that is what it would be. And when I say into the future I mean the future of their lives. Marriage, kids, balancing hero-work with family with regular work, etc. It would be kind of almost like one-shots but with more of a plot. There would still be a story centering around the characters in this story but as adults with their families... _if_ they have families ;)

Tell me what you think of that too please!

P.S: I also changed one little thing in this chapter because it was bothering me. I accidentally put Syphilis as the thing to be worried about for bullet wounds when it was actually sepsis...they are EXTREMELY different...so I really needed to fix this because I felt embarrassed that I would accidentally mix them up and it was incorrect.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Some reviews would be nice, just to know what you like, what you don't, etc. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual.

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 38

Ali glanced at her watch for the fourth time in the past minute. Liam and Tim would be sneaking into Lex's building by now. They would be at risk of being caught or killed or sent to prison…and she didn't know which scenario was worse. She had been pacing their hotel room all day until she couldn't take being cooped up inside anymore. It had felt like the walls were closing in as she waited for the dreaded moment Tim and Liam finally entered the building's premises. It was nerve-wrecking and she felt like pulling her hair out because of it. Ali had grabbed Cameron and headed to the park hoping the fresh cold air would cool her restlessness. It hadn't, it only made it worse because now she had to watch her brother to make sure he wasn't snatched up by kidnappers at any moment. Apparently the news had gotten wide that the Crowne orphans were visiting Gotham from London and had posted that fact literally everywhere.

Cameron on the other hand had no problem playing around the park's playground. He had happily ran and rolled and climbed all over the jungle gym to his heart's content for the majority of their time out. Now the sun was down and the moon was up and they really need to leave. Glancing back up Ali started to call out for Cameron only to stop when she didn't immediately see him on the playground. Panic roared through her as she stood up abruptly to her feet for a better look. She had literally glanced down for a second! Where could he be,

"Cameron!" She yelled, "Cameron!"

"What! I'm right here," came a voice above her. Ali looked up to find him nestled in the branches of the tree that was rooted right behind the bench she was sitting on,

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she cried,

"Why?" he asked,

"I couldn't find you!"

"I'm twelve, not six," came the retort and eye roll,

"Ugh, just get down will you. We need to get back," with a sigh Cameron jumped down and they started off through the city to their hotel room,

"Did you bring any money?" Ali asked as she tried to wave down a taxi,

"No…why?"

"For a taxi dummy!" she said as she patted her pockets for her wallet, "And I left my wallet at home. Crap,"

"Why is that bad?"

"Because we have to walk there,"

"We walked around Gotham all the time…well at least you did…when we were little,"

"That was before we moved to London. Things aren't the same there…and I don't know Gotham like I used to,"

"Nah, you do. It's always home…no matter where you go," Cameron said,

"Maybe for you. But then again you only remember the good stuff about Gotham. Like parks and playgrounds and baseball games and the penthouse. You didn't watch the news or see those fights between the police and our crazy ass villains or get kidnapped," Ali said as they started walking. She picked up the pace because she didn't want to walk out in the dark for long…not in Gotham,

"You never got kidnapped!"

"Liam did…once…sort of. He was held hostage," Ali stated, "And Tori did," Cameron scrunched up his nose,

"I didn't mean I liked it here…it's just. It's where we grew up…well mostly grew up," Cameron said,

"Are you mad at me for bringing us back here?" she asked,

"A little bit…but at the same time I'm glad you did because I actually finally learned the truth," he said shooting her a glare,

"We didn't know how you would handle the truth!" she stated, defending herself,

"I'm twelve not three! I can take the hard facts! I don't need you to baby me anymore! I can take care of myself and—," he was cut off by a hand reaching out from an alleyway and grabbing him and Ali by the backs of their jackets. They were hauled into the darkened alley and slammed into the wall. They stumbled backwards and hit it with a thud, causing them both to cry out. When they straightened up they found themselves eyeing the muzzle of a gun,

"Empty your pockets, give me everything you got!" the man snarled,

"We're kids! We don't have anything," Ali snapped, her heart was pounding…she didn't know why she said anything at all. It would only make this mugger angry. He let out a growl and swiped her with the side of the pistol. Pain blossomed on her cheek as her head snapped to the side. Cameron cried out in fear as she nearly crumpled to her knees. Ali stood up glaring at him, she took Karate, she could take him—yet her legs refused to move and her head hurt to much to think clearly,

"Empty…your…pockets," he sneered. Ali gritted her teeth and threw a kick to his stomach and then tried to knee him in the crotch. The first kick connected, throwing him back and his gun hand wide, but the knee only hit his shins as he impulsively clamped his legs together, anticipating that kind of attack, "You little bitch—," he started before grabbing her by the hair and throwing her onto the hard concrete,

"Ali!" Cameron cried out in fear, "Help! Please!" he called out into the streets. Ali, who worried the mugger would attack her brother next, tried to scramble to her feet but froze at the sound of the safety being clicked off,

"You'll pay for—," the mugger stopped mid-sentence and Ali snuck a glance. He stood there with an almost stunned expression on his face which confused her before falling to his knees and falling face first into the ground, a knife hilt protruding from the middle of his back. Ali didn't know what had happened or where that knife had come from or who had thrown it, but she didn't care. She scrambled away from the fallen mugger before in turn scrambling to her feet and over to her brother and pulling him in a hug,

"Are you okay?" she asked, releasing him and padding him over, looking for cuts bruises or anything out of the ordinary,

"I—I…I didn't mean to," Cameron stuttered, he sounded shocked,

"Mean to what?" Ali asked,

"Throw the knife…he—he was, I mean he was attacking you…and it was the only thing I had and…is he dead?" Ali looked at Cameron and then the bloody mugger,

"You—you threw the knife," she asked, a clenching feeling of worry rushing through her. What would the police think, how would they explain this, "Where did you even get a knife!" she demanded,

"I gave it to him," a new voice said. Ali whirled around to see a tall man in a heavy jacket with gloves and thick boots walk out from the darkness that was the rest of the alleyway and into the dim light near the entrance. He was dark-haired and wore a baseball hat that covered his eyes. Cameron gasped and tried to take a step back but Ali's arm around him prevented him from doing that,

"Who are you and why did you give my brother a knife!" The man smirked before reaching up and removing his hat, revealing dark dark blue eyes that reminded her immediately of her mother,

"You know exactly who I am. I am family, and family helps each other,"

"William Cobb," Ali sneered, "You get away from us right now!"

"My dear Alison, why make me go away when I can help make this whole incident disappear?"

"I—is he dead…did I really kill him?" Cameron nearly whimpered. Cobb glanced dispassionately at the mugger,

"No," he said simply before something flashed from his hand, "Now he is," there was a new dagger now stuck in the man's throat,

"Why did you do that!" Ali cried,

"He may be a mugger but he didn't deserve that!" Cameron yelled. Cobb looked at them with a perplexed expression,

"He tried to mug you both…he tried to kill you," he said pointedly looking at Ali, "Don't you think he deserves exactly what he would have wrought on you?"

"We're not executioners," Ali said, thinking of Tori, Dick, Tim and all the rest, "There's the justice system for a reason,"

"And when that system's corrupt?" Cobb asked. Ali opened her mouth to speak when sirens blared in the distance, "Hm. Either someone heard your brother shout or that's for something else, but either way you must make a choice,"

"What choice? There's nothing to choose," Cameron stated looking confused,

"I can make this body, this whole attack disappear and it can become a distant memory…or you can try to explain how your brother got ahold of a Talon knife,"

"Why would it matter where he got it from?" Ali challenged. She wasn't making any bargains with this Mad Hatter, not unless there was no option,

"Your presence in Gotham is known. Your faces are known…if you have a Court knife in your possession I am sure Commissioner Gordon will make connections in that detective head of his,"

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked nervously,

"Like what Talon has been seen in Gotham…what Talon has caused unrest in Gotham most recently?"

"Tori," Cameron whispered in realization,

"And a Crowne with the same dagger seen in November, who else would have given it to her dearest most youngest sibling?" Cobb's smile could be a shark's smile,

"There's no way of knowing that's what they'll think!" Ali snapped, "We can't trust you!"

"But at the same time there is no sure way of knowing that is not what they'll think. This is still a murder even if it was in self defense. There are fingerprints on this hilt and they all match his,"

"I'd rather go to jail than be indebted to you!" Cameron growled, "You set this whole thing up. You wanted to see what I would do…what Ali would do and decide,"

"You're not going to jail!" Ali cried, glancing back at Cameron before rounding back on William, "And you, you ass! I thought you and Tori had a deal!"

"An understanding is hardly a deal. We mutually agreed not to kill or attack each other, I never said I would not put any interest in my other descendants," Ali glared,

"We are not going to agree to this,"

"The sirens are getting closer. Do you really want to possibly throw your sister under the bus? Have the whole of GCPD chasing after her? Do you want to destroy her future…however grim it may be? Do you want to destroy her dreams?" Ali gritted her teeth. He was manipulating them. Like it was some psychological test or something. She couldn't go through with this. She wouldn't, not even if Tori hated her for the rest of her life for it. Even if it ruined any chance of normality for her sister. She was not going to be bullied by some half dead assassin great-great grandfather zombie. Ali was not that corruptible. She opened her mouth when she felt a tug on her jacket sleeve,

"We have to do it," Cameron said in a half-whisper, he looked regretful but determined,  
"What?" Ali hissed, facing him so they formed an almost huddle,

"We can't ruin Tori's life. She's already been through so much. She's already gone through hell and back," Ali thought back to all that had happened in the past three years. All that had been sacrificed and torn apart and destroyed. All that had been said and hurt and scarred emotionally as well as physically,

"But if we do this…we're—,"

"—We're letting our sister, who may be forced to be on the run for the rest of her life because of that stupid dagger and because of us, have a normal life and future. You said that's what she's wanted since she became a Talon. How can we ruin that,"

"But Cami—,"

"—Ali. Tori _died_ for us. She died for _me_. Tori suffered for us so that we wouldn't have to. Don't make her suffer anymore," Cameron looked at her with grave eyes and Ali knew he was right. Tori had given up so much already, this wouldn't be worth the destruction it left in it's wake…if that even was the case. There were too many variables and unknown factors to really sway them from taking up Cobb's proposition. Ali gave her brother a curt nod and they broke from their small huddle. Cobb was glancing at an old and battered pocket-watch,

"Tick tock children," he stated looking bored,

"We'll do it," Cameron said firmly. Cobb grinned darkly. As if pleased it was Cameron who made the final decision. Ali stepped slightly in front of Cameron, but he moved away from her gesture with a slightly annoyed look,

"Excellent," he said before pulling the dagger Cameron threw out of the mugger's body and wiped it off on his pants before holding it out to Cameron hilt first, "A very fine throw. A little more force and it would have pierced his lungs more. Keep it, you never know when you will need it again,"

"I'm never using that thing again," Cameron stated, stepping back from the weapon,

"Take it or the deals off," Cobb said flatly,

"Really?" Ali said, "What are you _two?"_ Cameron let out a huff before taking it and putting it back in the loophole on his pants. William then lifted the man up and over his shoulder,

"I hope you appreciate this," he said as he turned and started down the alleyway. Right before he was engulfed in the darkness he stopped as if remembering something and turned to face them again,

"oh, and don't forget…you owe me." With that he was gone. Ali shivered at those words.

The part that filled her with the most dread was the fact that she didn't know if that was directed at her…or Cameron.

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A/N: Hmmm, what's Cobb up to? :) To find out you're going to have to review...and wait for the next part in Tori's Story...its start to be determined!

ReViEw!

Next chapter on Monday!


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: Let's try to get reviews up to sixteen guys! I know you can do it! Maybe I'll add in another chapter this week if you do. Incentive.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. God I am so sick and tired of having to put this stupid thing in! :|

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 39

Tori bit her lip, still facing the other standing before her. All their expressions grim, curious and untrusting. She suddenly knew what it felt like to be a doomed leader or a figurehead of a king or queen. People looking at you, expecting you to do something, be something that will live up to their expectations only still expecting you to fail. She didn't know how to do this. Explaining her experience to her family at home was one thing because they had been there, they had experienced part of it. They were there, living through her disappearances. They had wondered what had happened to her. They had known her before she had been changed from whom she once was.

But everyone here? They didn't know her. They judged her based on her actions and they didn't expect anything than what she had shown them on that stupid ship. They all looked at her, expecting an answer and an explanation that she wasn't sure she could give them,

"We're waiting," Nightwing almost growled. Barbara gave him a look and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering to him in Romanian _'can't you see how frightened she is? Let her do this her way.'_ It hurt that he didn't trust her, the doppelgänger of her cousin glaring at her as if she were a murderer. A hand fell on her shoulder, turning her from the huddle of heroes waiting for answers,

"You don't have to do this," Jason whispered close to her ear in Russian, "They don't deserve it,"

"And if we leave but Adam comes back for us here? We don't know how he'll find us. He might see our faces or the place we were last in to get to us. And we won't be there," she replied in the same language,

"Toria. You don't owe them anything,"

"I don't want my image sullied in their minds. Nightwing's cousin who was a murdering monster,"

"They don't matter,"

"But they wear your faces," Tori stated, she needed him to understand that it wasn't just validation for this world's them, it was for her as well,

"They're _not_ us,"

"I'm going to tell them, and if they still don't see me as a hero like them then we'll go,"

"It's your decision," Jason said, "But if you want me to shoot anyone let me know," Tori smiled lovingly at him before turning to face the group again. They all looked expectantly at her, not at all annoyed by the secret conversation she and Jason and just had…or maybe they speak Russian and were just too polite to say anything. She took a deep breath before speaking,

"I suppose if I'm to tell you my story, I have to tell you theirs," Nightwing raised an eyebrow,

"Theirs?" he asked. Tori didn't answer, instead she just recited the poem that was the heart of the story,

"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,/Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime./They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed./Speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head,"

 _"The Talon?_ You?" Robin asked,

"Me…plus about twenty others…" Tori agreed, taking another deep breath, "That poem is a nursery rhyme back in our Gotham. It's meant to scare kids into behaving. No one ever thought it was real,"

"But it is," Dick inserted rather bitterly,

 _"We_ didn't even know. They, the Court of Owls, controls Gotham through power, corruption and greed. They are a violent cabal of some of Gotham City's oldest and wealthiest families who use murder and money to wield political influence throughout history," Tori said, "and they've been active for centuries,"

"Murder? So you're what…an assassin?"  
"Yeah, she is," Jason said, "But so am _I_. Batman, who is oh so godly in your eyes, was trained by assassins. Sure he doesn't practice their murderous methods but the training is still in that style,"

"How did you get involved in it?" Nightwing asked ignoring Jason's statement,

"After I was rescued from Mac. After I became Bionic, I was kidnapped by a Talon,"

"Why?" Robin interrupted what Tori was going to say,

"Ugh…I'm explaining this wrong," Tori groaned, "The Court is hereditary. It's something that's passed down through the family. The Crownes weren't members of the Owls, neither were the Waynes, but many powerful and rich families were apart of them and the roles were passed down. The Talons on the other hand can chosen but their roles are also passed down to their heirs…with little choice. When no member is left in the family line they chose a different person to become a Talon next. Someone unknown…someone easily forgotten,"

"A street rat," Jason stated,

"A troublesome kid," Tori said,

"A child lost in the park or city," Tim said frowning as he did,

"A performer," Dick said grimly,

"A performer?" Barbara asked, "Why an actor?"

"Not an actor," Tori said, looking over a Dick. She didn't want to ruin Haly's image in front of this world's Nightwing so she went on, "Anyway…one member of my family _was_ a Talon so he chose to take me in as his heir. I wanted no part of it. Not after I found out The Court funded Mac's experiments before falling out with him,"

"Why would they pay for his experiments? Did they know he'd take you?" Superboy asked,

"No. They didn't. They wanted to see if the bionic chips would prevent the deterioration of their veins," Tori said pulling of her gloves to show the dark mutated veins spiraling around her fingers, down her palms and to the end of her wrists,

"Whoa…that is some cool ink," BeastBoy said,

"It's not ink," Tori snapped,

"Deterioration?" Nightwing asked, "How did that happen?"

"Did it hurt?" Gar asked. Tori frowned,

"You have to understand…when I meant that the Court valued family ties I meant it literally. They developed a way to make their Talons stronger, faster, and able to heal from absolutely anything—"

"—Except beheadings and getting their heart ripped out of their chest," Jason said, "Oh and possibly cutting off limbs, but we haven't tried that yet—" this time Tori glared at Jason,

"—And virtually immortal," Tori added,

"What? How is that even possible?" Robin demanded,

"I don't know. All I do know is that it's a drug called Electrum and it prevents you from aging properly. You become faster and stronger and almost indestructible…but you only age to your mid-twenties and then nothing. Not a wrinkle, no extra freckle, no brittle bones or bad circulation…maybe Electrum does something that reinforces the telomeres at the end of our cells. It makes them stronger so they don't deteriorate as we grow up…thus preventing the grey hair, wrinkles and all that stuff that comes with being old. I just don't know for sure, you just live unless your head is cut off or your heart is ripped out or your shot a point blank and your brains are spattered on the walls," her heart beat faster at every mention of death.

She could almost remember its cold embrace telling her to give up and submit to death only for the Electrum to yank her back into her own body. Jason must've sensed the weight of remembering death, of summoning the memories just by speaking of dying because he moved forward and wrapped an arm around her,

"And you agreed to this?" Barbara asked,

"No she didn't you—," Jason started,

"Jay," Tori said warningly, "It's okay. And no I didn't choose it. I wouldn't have,"

"But…?" Nightwing asked,

"The Talon that captured me threatened to just let me die and take my younger brother instead," Tori stated, "So I became a Talon. I let them train me. I let them make me murder for them…so that my little brother, my _eight year old_ little brother at the time, didn't have to," she didn't mean to snarl it at them. But she couldn't help it, just thinking of William threatening her, hiding behind the innocence of her little brother made her so angry she was sure she'd be sick…or maybe it was just remembering all this. Having to tell it all again that was making her stomach turn in knots,

"That Talon really did that?" Barbara asked stunned,

"How do you know he wasn't lying?" Nightwing pressed,

"That Talon was family. He was acting on orders of the Court's Grandmaster. He wasn't lying. Afterall the blood of the covenant is stronger than the water of the womb,"

"He was from your _family?"_ Garfield asked shocked,

"Yeah…he was. He's my great grandfather. And he's still around trying to bring me back to the Court," Tori said bitterly, "So I became a Talon. It took a while for me to agree. It took that threat to get me to say yes. They wanted it to be of my own 'free will' or whatever crap they thought made it my fault that I became what I am,"

"So you just let them drug you up and bing bang boom you're a Talon?" BeastBoy asked eyes wide,

"If it were that simple everyone would do it," Tim snapped, glaring darkly. No one with her liked hearing or remembering what she went through,

"It's not as easy as that. To become a Talon…you must die,"

 _"What?"_ everyone echoed. That word didn't really express the variations of anger, horror and sorrow that was shown on each of their faces,

"Electrum works in weird ways. At lower concentrations it can heal almost any wounds with no repercussions…but at higher concentrations it can bring back the dead. And with that there comes the speed, strength and immortality as well as the healing factor. It also mutates your veins. They can be on your face, your back, hands and feet or chest or anywhere really. They wanted to see if there was a way to prevent it so they funded Mac, but the chip wasn't compatible to the Electrum which is why they stopped funding him,"

"But didn't y-you h-have the chip?" M'gahn asked,

"Let's just say…they took it out," she replied. A phantom ache springing from where her chip used to be, like the nerves of an amputeed arm or leg yearning for the limb to work and move. Tori moved to rub at it, but Jason's hand trapped her's with his,

"It's not there to hurt you anymore," he murmured in Russian. Tori took another shuttering deep breath, lacing her fingers with his and dropping her hand to her side still linked with Jason's,

"I died. Don't ask how, I _don't_ want to remember _that,"_ she shuddered, "I stayed there for three months. I learned everything they had to offer. I excelled in it. I—I didn't think I would be rescued and I didn't want to be. I was a killer. I knew I would be nothing but a killer…it was instinct. The first thing I jumped to. The only thing I knew because Batman refused to train me," Tori paused for a moment, waiting for any interruptions only to be left with silence, so she continued, "But I _was_ rescued. I was taken back home to where I was loved and cared for. I healed…and I began to relearn how to be what I was but better, newer. Batman taught me to center myself when I lose control which happened a lot at first. It hasn't happened for a while now but it still sometimes happens. And yes I hurt people when I do…yes I kill people…but it's the only thing I know—well knew," she sighed, "I didn't want to be a killer. I never wanted to be a Talon, but the Court is still out there back home. I'm trying to end it. I'm trying to clean the stain that the Talons left on Gotham. I'm _trying_ to be good,"

"You are good," Tim said, glaring outwardly at everyone else,

"What did the Court do after you left?" Barbara asked, "Did—did they go after your family?"

"No. The Court stays in Gotham. That's all they care about…or that's what they say. My family lives in London now…well most of them do…the youngest do. They can't reach them there. As for me leaving, they want me back…they don't like having a Talon that they can't control. But me even considering going back is a death sentence,"

"They'd kill you?"

"My ancestor might not…I never know with him. But there are worse things than death for a Talon,"

"What is?" BeastBoy asked. The innocence in his eyes too apparent for Tori to even get mad at his question,

"Talons don't do well in the cold. They…freeze up and harden like a statue and go into…um…hibernation is the easiest way to describe it,"

"Like after the Mountain blew up," Nightwing realized. Tori nodded,

"It's like stasis," Tim said, "They don't feel anything,"

"But they can see and hear if their eyes are opened and their ear drums aren't damaged," Dick said,

"At the Court it's called cold storage…it's the ultimate form of punishment. Or retirement if you have outlived your purpose…but you can always be called back into service. It's horrible because years could go by, decades, centuries and you'd never know,"

"That's horrible," M'gahn said, "How could anyone do that to someone else,"

"It's how the Court works. The Owls are the brains of everything. The Talons have some autonomy, but ultimately the Grandmaster's word is law. What the Owls want happens,"

"Did your grandfather really want you to become a Talon?" Barbara asked, "Why would anyone submit their child or descendant to… _that?"_

"I don't know," Tori said shrugging, "He needed an heir. He's been through almost as much as I have but he wanted this…he chose to be a Talon. As for me…I don't know. I think he's angrier that two of his heirs refused to do the Courts dirty work and made him look bad than whether he truly wants us to join him," she didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out,

"Wait? Two heirs?" Nightwing asked. Tori winced,

"Uh…" she glanced at Dick who didn't say a thing just nodded at her, "Well. It's all about linage…and the oldest usually becomes a Talon at a young age. Talons would find their heirs in the modern day and…and stage their deaths,"

"That's so messed up," Connor muttered,

"They'd stage car crashes, fires…accidents," Tori said meaningfully,

"So who was the first?" Nightwing asked. He wasn't getting it. Tori sighed, she'd have to be blunt,

"William Cobb is my great great grandfather. He fell in love with Amelia Crowne and had a child out of wedlock. To hide that fact from the public, she married her second cousin and cut all ties to William. That was why he became a Talon. Though he was forced away, he still met with her and they had a second child together: my great grandfather. The first child…he was kidnapped by William a year before he saw Amelia again and brought—," Tori paused, glancing again at Dick. He didn't want her to stop it seemed,

"Brought him where?" Nightwing asked,

"Brought him to Haly's Circus," Tori said, "And raised as a trapeze artist named Willis Grayson,"

 _"…What?"_

"It was a way to always know who the next Talon in Cobb's line was," Dick said stepping forward, "The Court is tied to my side of the family just as much as it's tied to Tori's,"

"What are you saying?"

" _I_ was supposed to be William Cobb's heir," Dick said, "But I refused…I had already been taken in and raised by Batman before the Court could get their hands on me. Even when the Court attacked Gotham and he demanded I join him or he'd kill me…I didn't budge,"

"So he turned to my family instead," Tori said, "It's not your fault," she added looking at Dick with a small smile, "you didn't know. None of us did. We didn't even know we were related for that long to even consider him coming after my side of the family,"

"Wait…so, does that mean you're really a Cobb?" Barbara asked. Dick winced at that name,

"No. I'm a Grayson. I don't care if I'm genetically a Crowne or a Cobb. I'm a combination of the two…that's why my name has gray in it. The white and pure, rich socialite Amelia and the black and grimy poor street performer turned circus performer William…black and white make gray. I'm the 'Gray Son of Gotham,'" he said air quoting the title, his voice hard and bitter,

"Circus performer?" Robin questioned, looking over at Nightwing who was still silent in shock,

"Haly's Circus is a breeding ground for Talons. William was a member of the circus before he became a Talon. Ever so often, when the Circus went to Gotham, there would be an accident, some death at the Circus…it was a kid or a whole family. It was the Court taking kids to become Talon's. My ancestors were taken, others were taken as well. All to become Talons,"

"And _Haly_ let this happen?" Nightwing choked out,

"What choice did he have? It was either that or they replaced him with someone who would," Nightwing slumped into a seat nearby, shock, despair and anger written all over his face,

"The night my parents…"

"That actually had nothing to do with the Court," Dick said, "In a way that—their deaths…saved me. I was taken in by Batman and I escaped my fate. I defied what I was supposed to become,"

"My brothers did too. They were too old to be corrupted by the Court…I was too. But I had other siblings and Cobb knew I'd do anything to protect them," Tori said, "I made a choice to protect them…and I'd do it again no matter what it would cost me…what it _has_ cost me," she looked each of them in the eye. Her throat sore from talking for so long. Tired from speaking of the past and tired emotionally from remembering it again,

"I've told you everything. I've told you the truth. Now you tell me. Am I an animal? Am I a murderer? Am I a monster because of what I am and what I've done?" she let the bite in those words echo through the room. Let the hurt and anger roll of her tongue. At least they had the sense to look ashamed about what they thought and said,

"No. You're not," Nightwing said, "But…I still have another question. If the Court of Owls exists on your world…do they—,"

"They don't," Tori said shortly, "I checked,"

"I never heard you leave the Cave,"

"There's more than one exit in a home. And I can be very quiet when I want to be," she said cryptically, "They won't bother you. They don't exist. There's no Court of Owls nursery rhyme or organization,"

"I am sorry for doubting you," Nightwing said, "You can stay,"

"As much as I appreciate that. I don't think we'll be staying for long," Tori said, "We need to get home. I need to testify in court against Mac soon,"

"And if the League of Assassin's is active near Gotham it could be because they know that Batman is underhanded and want to make a move or something because of it," Tim said, "I don't think we'll be here longer than a few more days,"

"Good. I really just want to go home." Tori said before stalking away from the group and out of the room. Jason let her go, his arms dropping to his sides. He understood the need to just get away from it all. She needed time to calm her whirlwind of emotions before she actually killed one of them. Her anger was rising and her instability along with it.

Tori was running by the time she exited the warehouse.

* * *

A/N: If any of you didn't know that the full quote from "Blood is thicker than water" it's what I used in this chapter: the blood of the covenant is stronger than the water of the womb.

It basically means that the bonds forged in battle through blood, grime and trauma are stronger than genetics. This is mostly applied to soldiers in war.

But for the sake of this story it can be applied to Talons and the Batfamily in general. They aren't genetically related yet they are completely loyal (though a bit secretive) to each other. And Talons are blindly loyal to the Owls who shaped them.

ALSO - if anyone is reading the new rebirth DC things. I AM SO HAPPY WALLY'S BACK! YAY! And Nightwing will be back too! YAY YAY YAY

Hope you enjoyed! Remember to REVIEW! Tell me your thoughts peoples!

Next chapter on Monday - though I am a little behind on my writing schedule, I will still try to get chapters up each week. I've been lazy and instead of being six or seven chapters ahead of the current chapter number I'm only two chapters ahead :(


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 40

Liam hit the rocky ground so hard he saw stars. His insides felt like they were knotted and the world was spinning so fast he had to close his eyes. At the sound of muffled pain and a muttered curse he rolled over onto his stomach and glanced bleary eyed around where he was. Black rock, screeching bats…he had no idea how Adam knew what the Batcave looked like—not even Liam knew what it looked like and he knew who Batman was—but he had brought them to where they needed to be. The only issue…there was no one in it, and Adam was injured,

"Liam, do you know how to contact Batman?" Grant asked as he carefully lifted the unconscious Adam onto the table in the medical area,

"No, I've never been here before! I don't even know how to open the door!" Liam said as he scrambled to his feet,

"Well we need someone who has medical expertise because I don't know how to treat bullet wounds,"

"Really? You handle a gun but don't know how to treat gun wounds?" Liam said, "That seems soooo logical!"

"This is really not the time," Grant growled, "If he dies there is no way to get Tori, Tim or any of the others back. He's their only shot at getting home and putting Mac behind bars because without Tori, or Adam if he dies, there is no one with enough memories to get Mac put in prison permanently. So, I need to keep him alive long enough for you to get us some God damned medical help!" Liam glared briefly at his brother before dashing off to the control table for all of the computer tech they had in the cave. It was a beautiful set up to be honest, Liam's inner computer nerd was screaming with delight while his outer side panicked at the fact that he was not a great computer nerd and could only hack minimal things…not including Batman's super computer,

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" he muttered to himself as he worriedly paced back and forth. Adam couldn't die, he really couldn't. They didn't know where any of the supplies were and they couldn't search all night for the things they needed…and yet they needed to mess with the computer to get help. Liam took a deep breath, but it didn't calm him down at all. In fact, his hands started sparking with little bolts of electricity. They formed almost a spiraling film over his hands and part way up his arms and it scared him every time that happened. He tried to calm himself even more, but that didn't help, the electricity just intensified…he needed to rethink his calming techniques…

"Wait…electricity!" He exclaimed, looking down at his hands and grinning devilishly. He looked over at the computer console and took another deep breath and placed his hands carefully on the keys. Instead of just aimlessly destroying the device he focused on frequencies, commands, pathways and the general makeup of the computer system. He focused on his electric power, and it's ability to run through things, control things, charge things. He closed his eyes and focused on communication…help…anything of the sort. Liam stood there for a moment, wondering if it would even work until the computers flickered to life and Batman, along with Spoiler appeared onscreen. He felt like all his energy was being siphoned out and he barely managed to call out to them,

"Cave…now! HELP," before yanking his hands away and falling to a heap on the floor. He lay there, his head spinning and panting before rolling, yet again, onto his stomach,

"I think they're on their way," he stated groggily,

"How…what the hell did you do?" Grant asked from where he stood by Adam. The kid was still breathing, but he was pale and horrid looking, blood everywhere,

"Well…as it turns out, apparently I'm Bionic too,"

"What!" Grant exclaimed, his expression stormy, "How the hell did they get their hands on you!"

"I—I worked for them briefly. It was before I knew about Tori, Mac, the whole story. I discovered their secret lab in London for the kidnapped kids. Maybe they were going to move them there or there were some kids over in London, I don't know…I don't remember. But they caught me and—," Liam was interupted by the sound of a door opening and hurried footsteps pounding evenly down the stairs. A few moments later an elderly man in a suit appeared,

"Master Bruce called me and said to check the Cave. What is the problem…other than the young man on the medbay," he asked walking over to Adam. Grant seemed like he was about to object when Liam smiled recognizing the man,

"Alfred," he said in relief,

"Yes, indeed Master Liam," the Butler said, "what has happened to him,"

"Three bullet wounds. Shoulder, arm and torso. They didn't go through…he's lost a lot of blood," Grant stated,

"I can see that. Thankfully you didn't come through the front door, there are several expensive rugs along the way that would have been ruined had you needed to pass through," Alfred said as he pulled out supplies, without even looking away from the patient, "What blood type is he?"

"O positive," Grant said, Liam briefly wondered how he knew that but didn't question it,

"Same as Master Dick then. Second cabinet on your left young sir," he said to Grant as he pulled on some white gloves, "The O type of blood is the hardest to match and since both Dick and Tori have that blood type we tend to keep a lot of it around,"

"I didn't know that she was that blood type," Liam stated as he levered himself into a sitting position,

"I believe she still has that blood type, albeit slightly altered, even with all she has been through," Alfred said, starting the transfusion as a roar of engines echoed through the cave, causing the bats above to screech in surprise. The Batmobile, if Liam weren't so exhausted he would've been looking at it in worshiping awe, sped into the cave. Batman, Spoiler and Robin all leapt from the car and hurried over,

"What happened!" Stephanie exclaimed before Batman could get a word in, "Where's Tim!?" Liam glanced from Batman, who was glaring at all of them to Stephanie,

"He's with Tori, Jason and Dick," Liam said, "There were…um…some complications,"

"It's Drake, of course there's complications," Damian sneered, "What happened to him?" he added, nodding to Adam,

"He got shot," Liam said,

"And you? Why are you on the floor,"

"I hacked your computers…with my…mind…I guess? And I think I just used up all my energy, I got dizzy and stuff," Liam said,

"What?" Stephanie asked, clearly confused,

"I'm Bionic," Liam said glumly, "and don't ask how…I don't even know,"

"You don't remember," Batman stated,

"It's foggy…but it can be inferred how it happened," Liam said with a shrug,

"Great. Now that that's clear…what happened. Why and how did you guys appear in the cave without setting off any alarms and how come you all know where Tori, Dick and Jason are. Tell me exactly what is going on right now!" Batman growled,

"Hold on a moment," Alfred stated, interrupting any conversation, "You say he was shot?"

"Yeah," Grant stated, "I thought that was pretty obvious,"

"Who the hell are you?" Damian demanded,

"My brother," Liam stated before Grant could say anything else,

"There are no bullets in these entry wounds," Alfred said,

"They were using guns though," Liam stated, "I saw the broken glass where they struck,"

"There is nothing here. Are you sure they did not exit as well as enter?"

"I'm sure," Grant replied, "I'll show you," he said gripping Adam lightly and lifting him up, earning a soft grunt of pain from the unconscious boy. Sure enough there were no exit wounds,

"Then where did the bullets go?" Stephanie asked. Liam suddenly gasped in realization,

"He teleported," he said,

"So?" Grant replied,

"When he teleports, his molecules rearrange themselves as he moves from one place to another…who's to say that the bullets, that are inside his _body_ , didn't do the same thing?"

"So the bullets are in him…but in different locations?" Stephanie stated a worried frown on her face,

"We _need_ to find them! He could _die_ ," Grant said,

"There's no way to tell where they are. Nothing short of continuously opening him up," Batman muttered, clearly annoyed he had no answers to all his questions,

"We could use an X-Ray machine," Stephanie suggested,

"That would take too long. Besides the nearest one is at Dr. Thompson's Clinic. We'd never reach there in time before the bullets do their damage," Damian said, frowning,

"There's a better way," Liam said, "You wouldn't happen to have a metal detector nearby would you?"

* * *

Tori sat on the roof of the warehouse. She just sat looking over at Bludhaven's harbor, the moon reflecting in it's clear surface. She was glad for the quiet, the calm. She wasn't sure how much more she could have handled in that warehouse below. It hasn't been a good week for her, and that mission might've just ruined whatever calm streak she'd had. She wouldn't be able to go on patrol for at least two weeks, just to be sure that she wouldn't lose herself again while fighting. Footsteps moved lightly across the rooftop. Light like they were trying not to be heard, but Tori heard them,

"I'm sorry," a voice said,

"What for Nightwing?" Tori said, not bothering to look back, "You were just doing what you thought was right,"

"I should have trusted you. I should have—,"

"—should have what? Known my whole entire story right off the bat?" she asked throwing an eye roll over her shoulder at him, "Yes I was angry at you for thinking that, yes I was upset because I had to relive those whole three months…no those whole three years all over again. But you're their leader. You have the weight of their lives and the people of the worlds' lives on your shoulders. You couldn't afford to let a fox into your henhouse,"

"I thought I used to trust people easily…yet here I am, lying to them," he said sighing as he sat down next to her,

"Like Batman never lied to you?" Tori asked, "Like the League never kept you out and in the dark? Like your own parents never told you a little white lie to keep you safe? Leadership is a lot like parenthood. You're in charge of everything, you call the shots, and you're blamed for the results. I never realized that until my parents…well my mother. I never knew my father,"

"What do you mean? You never talked to Jack?"

"I didn't know he was my father until Tim told me. And by that point—," Tori cut herself off, realizing where she was going before shaking her head, "—That doesn't matter. What matters is that you were right to question me…even I question myself sometimes. The only reason I was angry about it, why I didn't like it, was because it was you who was questioning me. You, my cousin and my moral compass at the best of times as well as my hard and determined trainer at the worst of times but never ever my enemy, looked at me as if I was just that…your enemy,"

"I understand," Nightwing said, "It's weird. I look at your Nightwing and just feel like I'm drowning in shadows compared to him. I see conspiracies and betrayals at every corner…I'm less of that free and joyful Robin I once was. But him? He's happy. He's light and free as if nothing could hold him down. And Tim. My God, he grew up. He's so confident and strong and everything I can't be. Jason…I don't even know him anymore. But he knows himself better than I'll ever know myself. They aren't trapped…but I am," Tori felt the pain in those words. He never wanted to be leader. She could see that. He never wanted this responsibility. This power to decide where and when people do things, how people do things. But with the invasion he was pinned in place by the absence of the imprisoned Justice League members, Artemis and Kaldur as well as cornered by the Reach and the Light's forces. He had to step up, no one had the experience that he did,

"You know that a few years ago we thought Bruce had died. This was before I was kidnapped by Mac so I was there for that. There was a fight between all of you, you, Tim and Jason, for the cowl. Dick won. But it didn't feel like a victory. Bruce was gone, you were all alone…well not you, but you know what I mean…Tim had left. Gone off on his own, Jason ran off too. I was helping so were…um…others. But you were on your own. He was trapped too. Trapped in that cowl, in that position of leadership, trapped in that role of guardian of Gotham. You tried to be him, you tried to be Bruce. But you couldn't. So you became something different. You became a different Batman. Gotham knew you weren't the same, but they accepted it because you were doing exactly what Bruce had done, but differently. Leadership…no, legacy…isn't about filling another's shoes. It's about becoming and continuing what they stood for in a different way. In your way. So yes you may be lost. You may feel completely different from what you used to be. But so did Dick, he had to change himself to be Batman, not enough to forget who he really was, but enough that villains still wet their pants every time they saw that symbol on the suit. And afterwards, he went right back to being his old goofy, laughable self. And so will you,"

"I'm not a good leader. You told me that yourself after that mission where Tim nearly got blown up. I've been lying. I've been doing things behind their back…that's not what leaders do," Tori rolled her eyes again,

"I thought this was an apology, not a self pity fest. Get over yourself Nightwing. You are a good leader. And yes they'll be mad when the truth comes out. Yes they'll need time to accept that you lied to them…but they'd never turn their back on you because whatever your faults may be, you are loyal. You never turned your back on them. You have and you will lay down your life to save them. You are dedicated and strong and funny. They could never hate you for what you've done because you did it for the greater good not to hurt them. This is war. And I've been educated in wars of all manners so believe me when I say this, there are no lines that can't or won't be crossed in war."

"Thank you for your faith in me…and I am truly sorry for what you have endured. _All_ of it," Tori understood, by the way he said it, what he truly meant. What he had understood by just one glance and a story along with it, what those scars on her back meant. He hadn't mentioned it, he didn't need to. Those three words meant enough,

"Thank you," she said hoarsely.

* * *

A/N: Aw, that was a nice ending. I don't know if a metal detector would work THROUGH skin, bone, blood and organs, but for the sake of the story...why not? Also, Batman knew about Adam, not their plan to get him back from Lex. Tim never told him Adam was caught.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Next chapter on Monday!


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 41

"I can't believe this is actually working," Liam said from Alfred's side as the Butler removed the second bullet from the random locations they moved to when Adam teleported. They had sealed up the entry wounds and were using a metal detector to locate and remove the other, hidden bullets. That and repairing any damaged the misplaced bullets may have done,

"This is one of those stupid ideas that actually work," Grant agreed,

"Great. Damian help Alfred seal those wounds, everyone else: start talking. Now," Batman, Bruce Wayne growled. Stephanie sighed and stood her ground as she explained what they did,

"I know you're annoyed we withheld information, but it was for the better. We got information that we wouldn't have discovered until it was too late," Stephanie said,

"We found the funder and we have two, now three, witnesses to condemn both Luthor and Mac," Liam added, hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he was just really intimidated by Batman or if it was an after affect from using his powers. Either way he felt shaky,

"If Tim weren't in college he'd be grounded," Bruce muttered. The fact that he muttered those words as Batman made Liam snicker slightly, "But I can just bench him from patrol, once Adam is healthy enough to teleport us to them and back,"

"You'd be coming too?" Stephanie asked,

"Well, I for one am interested in what this other world is like," Bruce stated, pulling down his cowl and turning to the computers, "We need to file this information and gather facts and data retaining what you guys discovered. And Liam—,"

"—Yes?" Liam gulped,

"—since you're Bionic, you could testify as well. Sure it was Cassidy that made you Bionic, but it would still be evidence against Mac and Biotech as a whole," Liam bit his lip before shaking his head,

"I don't really remember—,"

"—You remember enough. You've seen the lab. It's evidence," Bruce said firmly, "We don't have that many people who remember what happened to them or who they even are, you're one of the few that do,"

"When even is the trial?" Grant asked, shrugging off his gear, it all thunked to the ground rather heavily,

"In a few days," Bruce said, "Which is why it's vital that Adam recovers as fast as possible. Tori needs to be here,"

"Tt. Well he seems to be on the mend," Damian said coming over to where they stood, "Pennyworth says he'll be up and about by tomorrow evening at the earliest, the next morning after that the latest. He'll be sore though,"

"Who wouldn't," Liam muttered, rubbing his shoulder where he'd gotten shot two years ago,

"You aren't still mad about that are you?" Stephanie asked,

"I'm not mad, but it still hurt!" Liam exclaimed,

"What still hurt?" Grant demanded. Liam scowled at his brother,

"I really don't have time to explain two years worth of information to you right now," he stated, "You'll have to ask after this whole mess is over," Grant let out a huff of frustration,

"I am trying here man,"

"No. I don't think you are. Disappearing for two years isn't trying. Joining up with Lex and leaving your pregnant girlfriend or wife or whatever she is to you alone for extended periods of time while being watched all the time isn't trying—," whatever Liam was going to say next was cut off by Liam himself realizing something. Grant must've experienced the same epiphany. His eyes grew wide and he paled considerably,

"Riley!" They both exclaimed, just as Liam's phone started blaring,

"Whoa. I get service down here? Sweet! I guess I could've called Stephanie instead of hacking your computer via electrical powers,"

"I believe you mean by technopathic powers," Damian muttered as Liam answered his phone,

"Liam! You never called!" Ali exclaimed breathlessly into his ear,

"Ow. Too loud and yes Ali, I'm fine," he stated, "We are all fine…well except for Adam. He got shot,"

"He's dead!" Ali cried out in despair,

"Whoa, no! He's fine, Ali relax. Don't just jump to death when someone's shot, you gotta have a little hope before you freak out,"

"Sorry…it's just…never mind," she stated quietly,

"Ali…are you okay? Did something happen? Where's Cameron," usually when Ali called Cameron was somewhere in the background chiming in here and there,

"He's asleep. Fell asleep waiting to hear from you,"

"Oh…well I'm fine," Liam said as Grant grabbed his shoulders shook him slightly and muttered, "Riley," intently,

"Ali. Can you do me a favor?" Liam asked,

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"Go check on Riley. She's in apartment 6B on Hutchinson Avenue in Metropolis,"

"Metropolis! You want me to go to Metropolis? With what form of transportation?" she screeched, causing Liam to pull the phone away from his ear and allowing Damian to grab the phone,

"Go to the alleyway near Gotham Academy. There's an old telephone booth that has access to the Watchtower's zeta beams. When you get there type in the code 1047 and once inside say 'overide B42 Metropolis' you'll get there. You're welcome," before handing the device back to Liam,

"—ho the hell was that?" Ali was saying,

"Doesn't matter. Just do it quick! This may be life or death," Liam stated,

"Okay. I'm on it," Ali said before hanging up. Grant let out a sigh of relief even as Stephanie said from where she was helping Bruce test the computers to see if Liam damaged anything,

"You know you just sent your sister into a possible ambush by Lex,"

"Which would lead to another ransom piece against Tori," Damian added helpfully,

"Then why didn't you say anything!" Liam and Grant exclaimed as one,

"Tt. You didn't ask," the kid replied. Liam could understand why Tim hated this guy,

"Damian," Bruce said warningly, "Go help the girl,"

"But father!"

"Now," Bruce growled. Damian let out an exasperated noise before grabbing his helmet and stalking over to his motorcycle. His was still growling under his breath even as he sped out of the cave,

"Who wants some tea?" Alfred asked, walking over with blood on his hands,

"Uh…you are gonna wash your hands first right?" Liam asked. Alfred's glare rivaled Batman's as the Brit replied,

"Oh no, I am just going to let the blood stain the fine priceless China cups," Liam nodded and stammered,

"Right…uh…stupid question,"

"Smooth," Grant mused,

"Shut up."

* * *

A/N: Wow, winding down towards the end of this story. Don't worry though there are still plenty more chapters to go, but my plot-points are all tying together to form one final knot(at least at the point where I am, you guys are a bit behind me right now ;) ). It's been so fun writing this story and I can't wait for the next part in this story. I hope I end things properly and to be honest for all I know there might be more chapters put in that I never intended to even be written since I tend to just write whatever comes to mind that makes sense within the story(or maybe only mostly makes sense). I hope you've all been enjoying and loving this series since there will be more to come once this is done.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Next chapter on Monday!


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: Okay, last chapter wasn't my best chapter, but hopefully this long-ish chapter will make up for that. Although some things about this chapter may be off: timing, what the characters are doing, facts, etc. I tried my best though. If anything bothers or annoys you PM me or review your question/concern and I'll respond in the next chapter to it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 42

Ali hurried through the bustling streets of Metropolis. From her few visits to the city, she'd always thought it was much too merry. Its people much too chipper, like everything was from a Dr. Seuss book. She was used to cloudy skies and sirens every five minutes, while in Metropolis, there were no backward glances, no fearful runners trying to get away from whatever psycho, car jacker, attacker or mugger was after them. Not that much corruption or scandal, overall it was a very different city than she was used to.

She found the apartment building pretty quickly despite not being in Metropolis on her own in a while. She figured that's what adrenaline did, and a GPS on a phone. Even as she walked up the stairs, the elevator was out of order, and even though she was in Metropolis she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Like William was stalking her through the city, his favor that was owed by either her or Cameron hanging over her head like a chandelier that was about to break. The feeling made her uneasy. Maybe she shouldn't have left Cameron alone. She couldn't believe they went through with that deal. They shouldn't have done that. Sure, Ali knew that maybe there was a slight chance the detectives of Gotham would discover the knife and link it to the Court of Owls, but they wouldn't have linked it to Tori…would they? Ali didn't know. She knew that they had somehow gotten tricked by William to do something they shouldn't have. Cameron almost killed someone! What did that mean for the future! Or his conscience,

"We should have stayed in London," she muttered out loud into the empty hallway,

"What makes you say that?" a voice asked, Ali started and opened her mouth to scream when a hand slapped over her mouth. Ali panicked thinking it was a Talon or something. She bit her attackers hand, "Ow! What the hell," the voice snapped. Ali pulled away and whirled around to glare at her attacker, her hands up and ready to punch whoever it was,

"You!" she cried out surprised. Robin, aka Damian Wayne stood glaring at her and rubbing the hand she bit,

"Do you always go biting everyone who tries to help you?" he hissed,

"Do you always sneak up and scare half to death the people you're trying to help?" she growled back, "I thought—," she started but stopped herself,

"—You thought what?" he demanded,

"Nothing," she finished lamely, the whites of his mask narrowed as he glared at her, "How does the whites of the mask do that? They're not your eyes, they're just covering them," she asked momentarily distracted,

"What?" he asked confused,

"And how do you see out of them?" she asked not waiting for a response to the first question,

"They're transparent on one side and opaque on the other," Damian stated,

"That's not possible. Opaque means not transparent,"

"Well…argh! This isn't why we are here," he snapped,

"Why are you here!"

"My father sent me to help you check on Riley,"

"What, he thinks I can't check up on someone myself?" Ali asked hurt,

"More like this could be a possible ambush and we don't want Luthor getting his hands on you,"

"I can take care of myself," Ali replied,

"That's what everyone says and it hardly ever turns out to be true," Damian replied mutely, "Let's go get this over with," he stated, stomping over past the few remaining doors on the sixth floor to the one Riley lived in, not waiting for Ali to follow. Huffing out a growl she hurried after the moody and annoying twelve year old.

Once they reached the door, Damian stepped back as if to kick in the door,

"Let's not give the pregnant woman a heart attack," Ali stated before he could attempt to kick the door,

"This is faster,"

"And louder,"

"So?"

"Do you really want to alert anyone watching Riley that we're here?"

"Fine," Damian muttered, before stepping back. Ali moved in front of the door and knocked on it,

"Riley? Are you in there?" silence. Ali almost knocked again before a slightly panicked and faint voice replied,

"W-who is it?"

"It's Ali. We've come to check up on you. Grant sent us!"

"Oh thank God he's alright," they heard her whisper. Ali tried to turn the knob but it wouldn't budge,

"Riley? Can you open the door?"

"I-I I don't know if I should move," she said,

"What do you mean?" Ali asked, worry starting to set in,

"I-I think my water just broke,"

"God damn it," Damian muttered, "Of course it did,"

"We need to get in there!" Ali hissed, bringing her foot back and kicking the door. Her foot glanced off the wooden door and into the door-hinge, "Ow! Shit!" she cried grabbing her foot and hopping up and down,

"Move!" Damian snapped, pushing her out of the way and kicking the door himself. The hinges splintered and the door flew inwards,

"How did you do that?" she asked as they ran inside,

"You kick near the door handle, I don't know how but it just works," he said as they sprinted over to Riley who was huddled on the once dry and clean carpet,

"Where is he? Where's Grant?" Riley asked, her eyes were wide, full of pain and panic,

"Uhh, he's in Gotham right now,"

"Get him here!"

"Uh, right," Ali said pulling out her phone as Damian helped her up. Riley let out a cry and then fell back to the floor, sweat was dripping down the side of her face, "There's no signal," Ali said. Damian rolled his eyes and put a hand to his ear only to drop it in surprise,

"Robin?" Ali whispered out the side of her mouth, eyeing the new even darker stain on the rug, "Is…is that blood?" Damian looked like he wanted to curse again but to his credit didn't,

"Try the landline," he said,

"No! Don't," Riley whispered breathlessly,

"Why?"

"It's bugged, they'd…be…here in minutes…if they…knew…Ali was here,"

"And that you've gone into labor," Ali agreed, "The power-lines aren't down, why is there no signal for anything?"

"I don't know, but something's scrambling my comm,"

"We're screwed then," Ali muttered, "And Riley is—," Damian stomped on her foot and shook his head,

"We don't need more panic," he growled lowly,

"—Is going to be just fine," she finished, forcing a smile,

"You're a terrible liar, just like him," Riley said, a slight smile on her face before she grimaced again,

"Where's the power source for this apartment building?"

"It's something on the roof, at least that's where the power lines connect," Riley said, just as the power went out,

"Uh-oh,"

"I guess they knew we are here," Damian muttered,

"Weren't you supposed to make sure that wasn't true before coming in here?"

"One of the guards must've woken up and warned someone," Damian growled, as he walked over to the coffee table and shoved everything off of it, "we have less than two minutes before they get up here, we need to move fast,"

"Riley can barely move Robin…plus…you know!" she said, giving him a stare as she followed him outside on the small balcony,

"I know," he stated, "but we don't have a choice," he lugged the coffee table up onto the side railing and pushed it until it was lying on the neighbors side railing,

"Oh please tell me we are not doing what I think we're going to do,"

"We're doing exactly that," Damian stated, "You first,"

"Why me!"

"Because I don't matter to them and if they take Riley she might die anyway,"

"How can you say that?"

"She's bleeding a lot back there, she can only lose so much blood before going into shock and/or dying. We need to get as far away as possible before it comes to that. We'll have help once we're away from immediate danger now go!" Ali glared at him before hopping up onto the table and inching her way across it, Damian helped Riley up to her feet and guided her to the table. She hobbled across it slowly and made it down just as the first of Lex's men reached the balcony. One guy tried to grab Damian who leapt up onto the railing and kicked the table away,

"Get inside!" He snapped. Ali frantically tried to get the glass slide door open but it was locked from the inside. With a yell of annoyance she looked for anything she could throw…there was nothing. With a sigh she pulled back her hand in a fist and punched it through the glass. Riley let out a gasp of either surprise or pain, Ali didn't really know. Surprisingly her hand didn't hurt as much as she thought it would, but she didn't focus on that, she instead wiggled her hand through the jagged hole she made until the lock slid away and she could open the door. Damian leapt across the gap, bullets ricocheting off the building and railings before rolling through the glass door and slamming it shut once he got to his feet,

"I can't believe they only sent two guys!" he stated, "I am much more of a challenge!" Ali opened her mouth to snap at him only to stop as he helped Riley to her feet and started for the front door. Ali grabbed Riley's other arm and helped him as he got the door opened and started down the stairs,

"Luckily the stairs were right here," Ali whispered. She could hear pounding boots on the floor above them, if they stayed quiet enough, they might not find them,

"What did…what did Grant do…to…to…get him…mad," Riley asked breathlessly. She was really pale, an clammy and blood still dripped through her pants,

"Uh…he…he helped Adam escape," Ali said as quietly as possible,

"Good," Riley said, "I…I was…sick…of him…," Ali waited wondering if this was her way of breaking up with Grant. It was a little sad because she already had a kid with him,

"Keep talking," Damian said to her,

"…doing…Lex's…dirty work,"

"Trust me, I think we all are," Ali replied. Two more flights of stairs and they were home free…if only they could go faster. Riley kept tripping over her feet and her eyes kept fluttering closed,

"Riley, uh…keep talking," Ali said, her hand was starting to bother her, "We need you to stay awake. Robin and I can't carry you,"

"The…the…doctor…said…birth wouldn't…be like this," Riley said before letting out a loud cry of pain. Ali and Damian froze in surprise of it as did the commotion upstairs. Footsteps pounded towards them a moment later,

"Fuck!" both Damian, Ali and Riley said as one. They all started hobbling a bit faster,

"Robin, can you take them?" Ali asked,

"If I didn't have a dying pregnant woman to take care of," he snapped back,

"What?" Riley asked dizzily,

"Nothing!" they both replied,

"Well once we're out of here they'll probably be on top of us, I'll take Riley and go for it and you take out these assholes!"

"We won't be able to move her by the time we get down there. In fact I'm pretty sure she shouldn't be moving at all!" The footsteps were closer and they could hear voices shouting and calling as they reached the lobby of the apartment building. The concierge and doorman were no where to be found, the whole building seemed to be empty for the exact purpose of capturing Ali, keeping Riley hostage and maybe killing Robin. They ran-hobbled down the stairs and out into the streets of Metropolis, just as the thugs reached the lobby. They hurried down the street before Damian tugged them into an alleyway,

"You wouldn't happen to have a dog whistle on you would you?" Damian asked,

"Why would—," Ali started only to cry out in surprise as Riley's full weight toppled onto her forcing both herself and Ali to the ground, "Yes! I have one," she exclaimed, remembering when she borrowed her friend's from England to mess with their neighbors. Their dog always peed in front of their flat door. Ali had gotten sick of it so she used the whistle to cause the dog to bark and yelp all night while she, Cameron and even Arthur laughed in evil amusement,

"Hand it over," Ali moved to reach for it only to cry out in pain. The arm that wasn't pinned but Riley was the one she'd used to punch the door open,

"Hurry! They'll check the alleyways soon enough!"

"Can't. One hand is pinned and the other one is kind of injured!"

"Where is it?" he asked,

"Uh…jacket pocket. Right side," Damian rolled his eyes before kneeling on the pavement and reaching for her jacket pocket,

"That's not my jacket pocket that's my back pock—,"

"—Sorry, sorry!" he said flushing slightly and finally grabbing it. He scrambled to his feet and blew it. Ali waited, wondering if they had a trained bat hound that would carry Riley to the hospital. She was still breathing, which was a good sign. As long as her heart beat and she breathed, the baby would be fine-ish…hopefully,

"C'mon Supes. I knew you can hear this," Damian growled as he blew it again, "Come on you caped ingrate get your star-spangled ass over here! This is your god damned city!" Damian blew it again, and a bunch of dogs howled in the distant but a spot finally appeared in the sky just above them and Superman, the freaking man of steel landed in front of them,

"Was that really necessary—?" he started, glaring slightly at the younger boy,

"No time! You need to get her to the hospital now! Fast!" Damian said, gesturing to Riley. Superman didn't ask questions, just picked her up and turned to fly away,

"She's still breathing right!" Ali asked as she sat up,

"She's breathing and her heartbeats strong," Superman said before taking off. Ali sat on the ground for a moment before getting to her feet,

"Oh my God! I got to meet superman! Eee! Knowing this family is awesome!" she cried jumping up and down,

"Ali shut up!" Damian growled,

"Sorry. But I just really need something to be excited about right now," Ali replied, cradling her injured hand to her chest,

"It's just Superman, there's really nothing to get excited about,"

"Just Superman? That's like saying oh it's just the Queen of England or oh it's just influenza in the eight hundreds, you're not going to die…maybe…probably…it's actually very certain," Ali said rolling her eyes, and waving her hand in the air, only to wince realizing it was her bad one,

"Let me see you hand,"

"No, it's fine. Let's just get back to Gotham before my uncle freaks,"

"Let me see it,"

"Fine," she held out her hand,

"What did you do?" he demanded, turning it lightly over to examine it. It looked kind of gross, it was covered in dry and fresh blood all the way up to her elbow,

"I punched the glass sliding door,"

"You punched through that?"

"I take Karate, I can punch through wooden boards…not solid oak doors, but definitely glass,"

"Next time use the jacket you're wearing, oh so smart one, to cover your arm. That way you won't get hurt,"

"…shut up," Ali growled, not being able to outmatch the logic of his statement,

"My motorcycle's around the back of the apartment building. We need to get your hand fixed before any permanent damage is done,"

"What about Riley? Shouldn't we find her and stay with her?"

"Someone needs to tell Grant,"

"I suppose so," Ali said grimly as they started walking to his motorcycle, "Do you think she and the baby will be alright?"

"I hope so," Damian said,

"Superman said she was still breathing and her heart is strong,"

"Things like that can change quite rapidly when a medical emergency occurs,"

"It's like you don't want her to live," Damian whirled around to glare at her,

"No. I'm being realistic. There's a chance she'll live and there's a chance she'll die. I can't say which. I can't get your hopes up in case she does die and I can't discourage any hope that she won't die. It's just something we can't calculate or predict…we don't know,"

"I know…I'm just worried,"

"I know," Damian said, "but we'll know her condition soon enough," he said as they reached his bike. Ali bit her lip as he got on, looking back at where they'd come from,

"Don't think about it. It never does anyone any good," he said, not even looking at her as he handed her his helmet. Ali reluctantly put it on. Wondering how many times he'd have to wait in the Batcave for Alfred to fix one of his brothers or his father. Thinking about whether they'd survive, or if the damage would be permanent. He's been a vigilante for years, he's been through things like this many times. He was only twelve. If he could get through the worry and fear she felt now…so could she. Ali put on the helmet and got on the bike behind him,

"Grant's gonna freak," she said,

"That's why you're telling him." Was his response.

* * *

A/N: To be honest this chapter kind of came out of nowhere. I was trying to think of what to write a while back and then I'm like, huh that Riley story-line needs to be put in so it can be tied in with the rest of the story. So yeah, this chapter happened. You'll have to stick around to find out what happens *evil face.*

I know that excessive bleeding during labor is really back especially when not treated right away so what's happening to Riley is pretty serious. I don't know if she would actually go into shock, I just know that that's a possibility. I went to Google for this and read the first little blurb about it and used that.

Next chapter on Monday and please please please

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 43

After telling her whole story and running off to the roof, Tori didn't really feel like going back down and seeing everyone again, Nightwing had left to help others with any pesky wounds and get Robin home in time to get some sleep before school the next day. She stayed there until Jason's familiar trod echoed in her ears,

"I don't want to go back down," she said,

"I know," he replied, sitting down next to her on the edge of the warehouse roofing,

"I thought I'd feel better telling them, but I don't,"

"As I said before you didn't have to tell them. You kind of went off and did that yourself," Tori glared at him and punched him in the arm,

"Shut up," she growled,

"You know I'm right," he said leaning his face in close to her's and grin on his face. Tori scowled and pushed his face away with her hand and stood up to move to the other side of the roof,

"You're not making me feel any better," she snapped, crossing her arms as she walked across the rooftop,

"Tori, I'm sorry. I know that this was a hard thing to do. I'm trying to lighten the mood,"

"I don't think I want it to be lightened," Tori stated,

"Don't wallow Toria, it never does anyone any good,"

"I'm not wallowing, I'm worrying. I won't sleep tonight most likely, which no one needs and worst of all I keep worrying about the trial. It's in a few days, I hadn't realized how much time had gone by. What if Adam doesn't come back?"

"Don't think about this. They'll come,"

"Since when are you the positive one?" Tori asked, turning around to face Jason, who remained sitting at the roof's edge,

"Since you became the negative one," Jason said,

"I'm just upset, it'll pass,"

"What are you upset about?"

"Other than what I just told you? I don't know…it's just…Grant was there. He was with Tim and Liam…he worked for _Lex,_ Jason. Lex Luthor who _helped_ Mac! He was dressed like a mercenary…I don't even know him anymore. My family is split up…we've all changed and I can't help feeling that it was my fault," Jason frowned for a moment before standing up and walking over to her,

"Remember when I asked you at the prom whether you would respond the same way you did regarding me killing people before you lost your memory?" Tori nodding a little smiling at the memory,

"To be honest I'm surprised _you_ remembered that," Jason pretended to be offended before continuing his thought,

"Do you remember what you said? You said that you couldn't know the answer because you weren't the same as you had been then. And I will admit I was a little disappointed by that answer—,"

"—I thought it was a pretty reasonable answer! I didn't remember much of that time!"

"—but you said that one thing didn't change. How much you loved me,"

" _Love_ you," Tori corrected, "That will never be past tense. Ever,"

"Anyway, my point is that your brother may have changed, but his regard for you and your other siblings probably hasn't changed. He's the oldest, and take it from the second oldest of the craziest family to be a part of, that feeling of responsibility for your siblings never changes or fades,"

"He didn't seem to feel that responsible when he ran off and did who knows what to get that job," Tori muttered, "I still can't believe he did that,"

"You can definitely be mad at him, but you're still missing the point—,"

"—no I get the point I do. I'm just purposely missing it," Tori interrupted grinning a little,

"Well then I'm not bothering anymore,"

"No, I like it when you bother," Tori semi-whined teasingly, Jason still scowled, but rolled his eyes,

"Adam's not going to be back for at least a few days. Let's head back to the Manor and watch a movie,"

"We can play a game: how many movies can we watch before Tori passes out from exhaustion?!" Tori said spreading her arms wide as if imagining a headline to a newspaper, "We're starting with the Adam's Family,"

"No the Exorcist,"

"On what world would that be a good movie to watch after what I just relived?" Tori demanded,

"You need to face your fears,"

"Nah-uh, just because I freaked out for a totally un-I-experienced-death related reason to that movie, doesn't mean I'm scared of horror movies,"

"Then watch it," Jason said,

"Fine. But I won't be responsible for my actions while I sleep or throughout the night,"

"I can take it,"

"I'm serious, I slept-walked once while we were here," Tori said,

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, Dick had to put a bundle of clothes in front of the door that way I'd trip over them if I did it again,"

"Okay. But we're still watching it,"

"Ughh," Tori groaned, but secretly she was glad she'd be distracted tonight. They leapt off the roof together and headed to the nearest zeta tube.

* * *

When Ali and Damian arrived back in the Batcave, the level of surprised intakes of breaths at their appearance varied between worried, surprised and frightened by the blood,

"None of it's mine," Damian said quickly and seriously,

"Where's Riley?" Grant demanded,

"What the hell happened?" Liam asked at the same time, eyes wide, sparks and flying from his fingers,

"Some of it's mine," Ali said, raising her injured hand,

"Ali!" Grant and Liam exclaimed, moving forward to her only to be stopped by Alfred's stern glare,

"None of you are trained doctors are you?" he asked. They shook their heads, "Then step aside," Alfred brought Ali to the medbay and started taking things out from the various cabinets and drawers and other locations in the area,

"Where's Riley?" Grant demanded anxiously,

"Your girlfriend, wife or whatever she is to you is currently at a hospital in Metropolis," Damian said, standing nearby with Bruce and Stephanie,

"Are they alright?" Grant asked. Damian and Ali shared a glance,

"We don't know," Ali replied carefully, "Ow! Hey," she said glaring at Alfred who had poked her hand with a needle,

"Simply something to dull the pain miss. What did happen though?"

"I…uh…I punched a glass sliding door," she replied. Her hand had suddenly gone numb. So numb that she didn't even feel Alfred start to pick the glass out,

"Yeah, she stupidly didn't use her coat to protect her hand," Damian said, crossing her arms, "Tt, amateur,"

"Shut up, we were being chased I had to act fast," she replied,

"You were very lucky. No nerves, or tendons were severed," Alfred said, looking at the jagged cuts after washing them out, "Just some stitches and all should be well,"

"Good," both Liam and Grant said,

"You guys are ridiculous," she said rolling her eyes, "I'm fine,"

"Who was chasing you?" Grant asked suddenly very worried and anxious, "Who's to say they won't go after Riley at the hospital?"

"I've sent word to the hospital to keep a watch on her once she's out of surgery," Bruce said,

"Surgery!" Grant exclaimed,

"There were…complications,"

"I need to be with her," Grant said, starting to head for the stairway out,

"Grant! Wait!" Ali called, only to be yanked back into her seat by Liam, his familiar stern and intimidating brotherly glare more terrifying than Alfred's scowl and tut-tutting,

"Your hand is still being fixed," he said, "sit still,"

"But what about Lex!"

"Superman's there too. He probably wouldn't leave a dying pregnant woman alone," Damian stated rolling his eyes,

"Damian!" Bruce growled as Grant froze and turned back to face them. Devastation and fear on his face,

 _"…What?"_ he asked after a moment of stunned silence,

"Possibly dying pregnant woman," Damian amended, realizing he must've said something wrong,

"Do you even have human emotions?" Ali asked, glaring at him,

"What?"

"You don't say things like that," Bruce growled,

"Even if it is true?"

"Sometimes the truth needs to be hidden," Stephanie said, "I'm sure Demon Brat here's just being dramatic," she added for Grant's sake,

"But what if—,"

"Enough what ifs!" Ali snapped, "Go to that god damned hospital and be with her! You heard the idiot! Superman's there! You'll be fine!" with that Grant hurried out of the room,

"And you," Ali snapped at Damian, "What you do or what you say will get you killed one day," Damian just rolled his eyes, while his father yanked him off to the corner for a talking to. Ali briefly wondered what getting a talking to by Batman was like,

"That's probably terrifying," Liam said, nodding over to Damian and Bruce arguing in hisses in the corner,

"Nah, you get used to it," Stephanie said shrugging slightly,

"Do you think Riley will be alright?" Liam asked, "And Adam?"

"They have to be. For Tori, Dick, Tim and Jason's sake as well as Grant's sake," Ali said, watching Alfred as he wrapped her hand,

"Don't do anything too strenuous with this hand just yet Little Miss," Ali nodded, thanking the Butler before turning to Liam,

"So, Liam. I wonder what other abilities you have," she stated sharing a mischievous smile with Stephanie. Liam looked a little nervous and somewhat scared, as if he didn't want to think about what else he could do,

"I don't think—," he started, he was interrupted by the sound of popping and all the lights in the Cave shattering as one leaving the cave completely dark and upsetting the bats hanging above them,

"Smooth Liam. Smooth," Ali deadpanned in the darkness,

"Shut up."

* * *

A/N: A short chapter today. Don't worry next week's chapter is going to be longer. REMEMBER TO REVIEW!


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: NIGHTWING'S BACK NIGHTWING'S BACK! JUST READ THE NIGHTWING REBIRTH COMIC! AHHHHHH I'M SOOO HAPPY!

In honor of that happiness and because I am literally TWO CHAPTERS AWAY FROM ENDING THIS STORY!(AHH) I'm gonna post an extra chapter! Who da best! Me Me ME! So yeah, enjoy. Hope you like this chapter, review. Comments are very well appreciated.

Also, don't panic, when I say I'm two chapters away from ending it it means that I'm four chapters ahead of this one and there's two more to go. There's still plenty to read. At the bottom's another important A/N so read that please.

Disclaimer(Do I really still have to do these?) I own nothing but this story and the OC characters.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 44

"Do it again! Do it again!" Garfield cried gleefully,

"Gar," M'gahn reprimanded softly from where she was talking with Superboy and Nightwing, a little ways away from the couches in the makeshift headquarters for the team,

"No it's fine," Tori said from where she sat with BeastBoy, Dick, Jason and Tim, _it's not like it hurts_ she thought silently as she yet again dislocated her thumb and popped it back in place for the young boy's amusement. It was strange how even though she knew they were a little uneasy with the concept of a Talon, they were pretty accepting. And she thought they still hated her,

"And you don't feel anything?" he asked again,

"Not a thing,"

"That is so cool,"

"You should see her with pins, she puts them through her fingers on Halloween to scare the trick or treaters away," Jason said,

"They actually come to your safe house?" Dick asked raising an eyebrow,

"The stupid ones," Jason replied shrugging, "They see the lights on from across the harbor and 'investigate,'"

"You still bleed though right?" Garfield asked,

"Yeah, she does. A lot sometimes and it's very unnerving," Tim said, crossing his arms and glaring at her,

"One time," Tori said, grinning despite herself, "one time,"

"It wasn't funny,"

"I didn't know that would happen!"

"It spurted on me! That's gross!"

"What happened?" Nightwing asked, turning to them and looking mildly concerned,

"Well, we were on patrol. We were trying to take Two-Face down and get him back to Arkham but…impulsive Tori here decided to jump in too early alerting him and allowing him to send in a bunch of thugs. As we were fighting them one manages to knife Tori and it literally spattered everywhere. I mean everywhere, on me mostly and I had to go through the rest of patrol like that,"

"You could've jumped in the harbor," Dick suggested,

"It was January!" Tim cried, "That water was freezing! I wasn't going to do that,"

"What did he even hit?" Jason asked,

"I dunno? An artery?"

"Can Talons even bleed out?"

"Apparently not," Tori said shrugging, "Though I did put a tourniquet on it and let the wound heal before taking it off so I don't actually know,"

"It was gross and I'm still mad about it,"

"We're half siblings, we had the same blood type so it doesn't really matter," Tori said defending herself,

"Actually no we don't. You and Dick on the other hand, do,"

"How do you even know that?"

"I make it my business to know everything,"

"And that's why you're the detective of the family," Dick said, smirking at Tim's mock glare,

"You guys have the weirdest patrol stories," Jason said shaking his head,

"More like they just get weird when Tori's on patrol," Tim said crossing his arms,

"In my defense it was literally my fourth time on patrol," Tori stated,

"Well as the oldest nothing really that weird happens to me on patrol," Dick said leaning back and crossing his arms, "I'm a pro," Jason snorted and Tim rolled his eyes muttering, "Yeah right,"

"Sorry guys, you can't best perfection," Dick said. He was joking, he had his fair share of mistakes on patrol, but Tori took it as an opportunity to embarrass her cousin,

"Oh really?" she said, "I have a patrol story that Babs told me," she started,

"Oh there's a me in your world. Good to know," Batgirl said, grinning coming over to where they all sat,

"Wait, no, it's not _that_ story is it?" Dick asked, actually starting to look embarrassed. Tori grinned and nodded, "No, don't tell it!"

"Too bad mister perfect," she said before continuing, "Dick and Babs were on patrol and they managed to get caught and used as hostages against Batman or something like that. Thugs are silly sometimes. Anyway, they only had peanuts as food for them and Dick," she had to pause because Dick started to stand and she had to dart away from him, "…as Nightwing, who was still upset that Batman wouldn't buy him his beloved elephant Zitka from his childhood started to cry. In front of thugs because peanuts were Zitka's favorite snack," Everyone erupted into laughter, even Nightwing himself,

"Hey! We got hotdogs after that!" Dick said trying to defend himself as he sighed in defeat and flung himself onto the couch again,

"And that's better?" Tim asked raising an eyebrow,

"Just because you don't like hot dogs doesn't mean they're worse than peanuts," Tori said, smirking at her brother,

"You seriously cried because of peanuts?" Nightwing asked Dick,

"In my defense it had been a bad week for me,"

"Sure Dick sure," Jason said rolling his eyes. Suddenly there was a loud pop and instantly Adam, Batman and Damian were standing in the corner of the room. Damian leapt over the couch and launched himself at Dick, who had stood up at the sound,

"Grayson!" he cried. Dick stumbled a few steps, catching the younger boy in a hug, "Father's being an ass,"

"Adam!" Tim cried jumping to his feet and spinning to face the younger boy. He looked pale and tired, but was standing on his own two feet, "Are you okay?"

"I feel like Frankenstein at the moment, but I was well enough to get us here,"

"Finally," Jason muttered, getting to his feet,

"What are you doing here?" Tori asked Damian once he'd convinced Dick to put him down,

"I wanted to see what this world was like for myself," Damian said, pausing to look around the area, "This place is a dump,"

"Well in their defense their other two headquarters blew up," Tim said,

"Your fault most likely," Damian snorted and crossed his arms,

"Can we just leave him here? No one will ever know," Tim whispered to Tori,

"Tim, Damian. Knock it off," Batman growled,

"Did he call you father?" Nightwing asked. Batman looked over at the doppelgänger of his adoptive son with a small smirk on his face,

"Yes. He did,"

"So…he…uh…he's your son?" Robin asked,

"Of course I'm his son. Who are you?" Damian asked raising an eyebrow, sizing him up,

"That's Tim. Be nice," Dick said, grabbing his hood as Damian lunged forward an evil grin on his face, "No maiming,"

"He needs a leash," Jason said,

"Will he exist here?" Robin asked, looking a little concerned for his safety,

"Actually he already does," Tori said getting up from her seat,

"WHAT?"

"He's five. And with his mom right now," Tori continued moving over to where Adam stood, "Can we go home now?"

"Wait, hold on. Aren't you going to tell us how to find him? How do we even tell our Batman that he has a son he doesn't even know exists,"

"That's up to you," Dick said with a shrug, "We've done our part here. But now it's time to go. Good luck with your invasion, I'm rooting for you guys. Make sure no one dies,"

"Dick," Bruce reprimanded,

"What? They got this covered," he replied as he limped over to where Adam, Jason and Tori were standing,

"Did anything happen while you were here?" Batman asked, raising an eyebrow at the limp,

"Uh…no, nothing much," Tori said shrugging while trying not to look too guilty of murder…literally,

"Tori," Bruce said in a tone that implied he knew everything and knew she was lying,

"We might have been a part of a rescue mission," she stated,

"And?"

"And…and I may have gone a little overboard,"

"How many?"

"Uh…fifteen?" Bruce sighed,

"We'll talk when we get home,"

"Ugh," Tori groaned, "Why am I so honest?"

"I don't know Toria, I don't know," Jason said shaking his head and wrapping an arm around her, "By losers. Watch out for me in the future…and uh, don't die…it's not fun,"

"Jason," Bruce growled,

"Yeah, see you later. It was nice to meet everyone, even if it was for one night," Tim said. Batman turned to face him as if just remembering something,

"Do you have something you'd like to say?" he asked, glaring at Tim slightly,

"Uh…sorry I got blood on your floor when I got here?" Tim said to the Team, feigning ignorance,

"Perhaps an explanation of your behavior," Bruce stated crossing his arms,

"Well to be honest I'd rather not, but since I'm probably in enough trouble as it is I'll just explain it all. Adam found us right before Jason was teleported here. We told you about that so you can't be mad, but then Lex came after him for some reason, though we didn't know if was him at the time—,"

"—he needed me to plan with his doppelgänger here," Adam supplied, leaning heavily against he wall of the warehouse,

"—yeah, sure so…I kind of had to leave him behind. You wouldn't have known anything if I had been captured too, we wouldn't even be here. I gave Adam a tracking device so I could find him, but there was a scrambler device where Adam was being held. I tried hacking it, but there was a protective failsafe for it should anyone try to find the location of their operations. That made hacking impossible unless we cut off all power to the building. Adam himself got us help. He gave us Grant's, Tori's brother, cell phone number. He works…I'm guessing worked by this point…for Lex, who we discovered funded Mac's experiments after the Court did. He powered down the building we busted in and busted Adam out. We didn't leave without a few injuries but we're all fine," Tim said shrugging nonchalantly,

"How did you know which building owned by Lex was the one holding Adam?" Batman questioned,

"Uh…we sort of guessed," Bruce frowned,

"That was the only aspect I hadn't already thought out," Tim added quickly,

"And you did all this without consulting me?"

"We were stretched thin and the League of Assassins were active near Gotham. You were preoccupied and the city still needed to be protected. I did what I had to do," Tim stated crossing his arms, slightly challengingly. A stance that is used by almost every member once in a while. Robin and Nightwing stared at Tim slightly dumbfounded, Robin's mouth was even slightly hanging opened. Tim and Bruce stared each other down for a moment before Batman grinned slightly and clapped a hand on Tim's shoulder,

"Good work,"

"Thanks," Tim said, straightening up and throwing a smile on,

"Though I would have liked to be informed on what you were doing,"

"Come on, you had to know something was up. You didn't think I spent all my time at GU _during break?"_

"Even so, you ask permission before starting a whole rescue operation and include me in on it. What if you hadn't managed to get to this world and patch yourself up? Or Lex captured you?"

"Stephanie would be there to let you know," Tim said,

"And guessing on the building?" Bruce asked,

"If I had more time, I wouldn't have done that, but the trial was getting closer and Tori needed to get him put away for good,"

"Still, no patrol for two weeks,"

"I figured that was coming. I'll man the computers?" he asked,

"Cleaning the cars too," Bruce said,

"What? _Seriously?"_

"Haha," Tori said sticking out her tongue,

"Do you want me to punish you in front of everyone here too?" Bruce asked,

"Nope, nope, nope, nope. I'm good waiting till I get back,"

"Fine but just so you know your punishment is getting the electricity in the cave back on because you're the only one who won't die if you got electrocuted," Tim, Dick, Tori and Jason looked at each other confused,

"What caused that to happen?" Jason asked. Tim looked thoughtful as if considering what would have blacked out the whole Batcave before his eyes widened,

"Oh!" he said,

"What?"

"Oh…um…nothing…" Tim stated,

"What do you mean nothing? It's obviously something," Jason said,

"Uh….well I don't really know how to say it—," Tim started,

"He forgot to tell you that Liam's Bionic too," Damian said bluntly, Tori blinked, feeling empty and unable to process those words. Shock followed shortly and she didn't exactly know what to say other than,

"Okay," it seemed she had stood in a stunned silence for more than an instant because Tim and Damian were to busy chasing each other around the area to hear her, Tim obviously angry Damian ruined his explanation by spewing the truth so bluntly. Batman was trying to get them to stop attack each other, which was funny to see because of everyone's reaction to him actually being fatherly,

"Do they fight like this often?" Nightwing asked, looking in confusion at the two boys,

"Yeah," Dick said, "It gets kinda old. I think Damian only does it because he gets attention that way, but don't tell him I said that," Tori was still in a stunned trance so Jason had to speak three times before she heard him,

"Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand lightly against her back,

"I—I think so?" she said, "I don't really know how to respond to this information,"

"Just wait till you see him, let him talk to you and show you he's fine," Jason said. Tori could only nod,

"Are we going to head home now?" Tori asked a bit louder so everyone could hear. Batman had Damian by the hood and Tim was crouched on the railing of the upper loft of the warehouse,

"I want to know more about this world," Damian said, "And why you're in this dump. Why not set up ship in the Watchtower?"

"It's set up _shop_ dumb-ass," Tim said from where he crouched. Nightwing, ignoring Damian's threats and angry words directed at Tim for correcting him, spoke up,

"I tried, believe me. But the League's short handed and they don't want to change the Justice League and the Team's dynamic,"

"Which is?" Batman asked,

"The Team works independently from the Justice League. Not side by side with them," Nightwing said, frowning as he did so,

"Sort of like the Teen Titans, Batman," Tim said, "Only stricter,"

"Teen Titans?" Robin asked,

"A group of teenage superheroes that work to fight crime," Tim said, leaping down, "I'm team leader,"

"You lead your own team?" Robin asked surprised,

"Please, I wasn't going to let Dick run the show forever," Tim said with confidence, "Especially when I'm clearly better at it,"

"Hey!" Dick cried from where he stood by Damian,

"It helped me a lot more than I thought it would," Tim said shrugging, "Though I guess it made me less inclined to tell Batman what I was up to," he added smirking over at Bruce who probably rolled his eyes,

"I know enough. And as long as you don't do anything illegal I'll let you deal with your team how you want,"

"Bats, everything we do is illegal," Tim replied,

"We work with the police in Gotham and governments world wide when on Justice League business," Bruce reminded him,

"Fine, _mostly_ illegal,"

"Yes, change is great, blah blah blah, can we go now?" Jason said,

"So how is this going to work?" Dick asked,

"Just grab on," Adam said, "Or hold onto each other, either works,"

"Bye everyone! It was great meeting you!"

"You'll find me with the League of Assassins," Damian said, hopping over and grabbing hold of Bruce's cape. The stunned faces of the BatClan was the last thing they all saw before the world dissolved and a roaring pop filled their ears.

* * *

A/N: Maybe Bruce was a bit OC-ish...oh well. My bad. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Now, confession time. I haven't started writing the next segment of this whole story arc yet. Usually I would have something set up, but I have several different stories going on right now, some of which that have plots hanging by a thread meaning they're hard to write...BUT DON'T WORRY! THERE WILL BE A NEXT PART.

The only thing _I_ am worried about is the fact that summer is dwindling. I haven't started yet and I'm heading off to college at the end of August. I'm scared I won't have time to sit down and write - which I love to do btw. I know everyone who's actually been through college is going 'omg, she's an idiot, she's gonna have so much free time she'll be bored through half the day' yeah...trust me I heard all of that from my parents. But idk what's going to happen. So I'm going to try and get as far as I can over the summer and hope for the best when school starts.

I have ideas for the next part, don't worry about that either. It will take place SIX years in the future. (Don't worry, no alternate universe stuff...mostly... ;) ) There will be background built into the chapters so don't worry about not knowing what the heck is going on. There will be babies and children and heroes and old friends and new friends and jobs and evil people and bad guys and self discovery and shit...so DON'T WORRY! I'm the only one who's allowed to worry here.

So don't be mad or scared or worried if updates are spotty. I know that if that happens I'm gonna hate that I did that to you guys so you'll get a chapter later asap if I don't post on a Monday. So yeah...I'm excited for the next part.

Also, I'm sorry but I just realized I never included reactions of the alternate people seeing themselves. We only see reflections of what we MIGHT look like. Our mind warps what we see and changes what we perceive as ourselves. Scientists say that if you clone yourself, you wouldn't recognize your own face because you have never truly seen yourself, only a reflection or a photo...so I'm sorry for that. I may go back and include that, but probably not so I'm just apologizing for that...okay, that's it guys! Sorry this A/N is so long!


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: I HAVE DONE IT! I HAVE FINISHED! But I won't be posting twice a week like I did last time. There's actually not that many chapters left and this will give me more time to work on the next story! Yay!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 45

It was disorienting landing back in the pitch black cave. Tori stumbled into a table while Adam fainted onto Jason who was forced to catch him or he'd crack his head open on the rocky floor. Tim landed fine, as did Dick. Damian stumbled into his father who was fine himself and steadied his son,

"Timothy!" Stephanie's voice cried, echoing off the cave walls followed by the ruffling of a cape and Tim's exhale as his girlfriend barreled in for a hug,

"Tori?" Liam's voice asked in the darkness, but Tori could see just fine. Her eyes filled with tears as she ran toward her brother and pulled him in for a hug,

"How did they get you?" she mumbled into her shoulder as he hugged her hard,

"To be honest I don't really remember," he replied,

"Tori!" came another voice,

"Ali!" Tori gasped, pushing away from her brother to hug her sister, "What are you doing here!?"

"We came for a visit and somehow ended up helping Tim try to get you guys back," Ali said excitedly,

"We?" Tori asked, looking at Ali pointedly, though the effect was lost in the dark, "Was Cameron apart of this?"

"No…but…he knows about everything now," Ali said, "We had to tell him," Tori frowned, watching Dick pace as he talked to Barbara over the phone. He'd called her the moment his feet touched the ground,

"Okay. Where is he?" Tori asked, "and where's Grant?"

"Um…he…well…he's with Riley at the hospital," Ali replied,

"What! She's gone into labor?" Tori cried, surprised,

"Yeah…well…something like that," Liam muttered,

"Cameron's back at our hotel, asleep. Arthur's asleep too,"

"I need to see Grant…and Cameron. We need to talk…about a lot of things,"

"We need to get Adam into a bed. He's looking like death," Jason said,

"Thanks, that's very encouraging," Adam muttered tiredly,

"He wasn't even supposed to be up and about," Damian muttered, "He insisted on getting you back for the trial in two days,"

"Here, I've got him. Go to Metropolis, that's where Grant is," Tim said as he and Stephanie each grabbed an arm to help Adam upstairs. Tori nodded,

"I'll fix the lights later Bruce," she said as she, Liam and Ali dashed up the stairs as well to the garage above.

* * *

The drive was quiet. Tori was driving, Liam sat in the passenger seat while Ali sat in the back. Liam was absentmindedly clicking the switch to lower the windows, which were locked, causing Tori's ears to twitch every time he did it. Tori was focused on the road and didn't exactly know what to say. She was too busy thinking of how Liam—Liam who was oblivious to what Dr. King was up to right until he literally found the lab—became Bionic. How he kept most of his memory while Tori and all the other kids lost their entire memories also crossed her mind, but really only her outrage at the fact that he was forced to go through what she did. He would eventually remember everything that happened and Tori knew herself what that was like,

"What happened?" Tori asked into the air of the silent car,

"Grant said it was hemorrhaging due to an abruption of the placenta," Ali said,

"As greatly worrying and informative as that was, I was talking about Liam getting freaking Bionics," Tori said, gritting her teeth slightly as she said it,

"And as I told you before I don't remember," Liam stated, blowing a piece of hair out of his eyes, causing a spark of static to pop into the air as he did so,

"I just don't understand why they would go after you. Sure you discovered their secret, but you didn't actually know it was a secret, it was just some secret lab you found…they didn't have to do something so drastic. If they could specify the memories you lost they could have just wiped what you saw, they didn't need to give you a chip. And how come your abilities were dormant until now!" Tori ranted,

"Yeah and now we'll never know why because you killed Cassidy King," Liam shot back, jabbing a finger at her. Tori flinched and glared at him before glancing back to the road,

"I wasn't in the perfect state of mind when that happened," Tori argued,

"Well it would have still been nice to have some answers,"

"Oh yeah, blame the brainwashed assassin!" Tori cried out in a bitterly sarcastic tone of voice,

"You killed every scientist except one! One!" Liam snapped. There was a brief moment of silence before Tori and Liam looked at each other wide eyed,

"The scientist!" They cried,

"Oh my God!" Ali yelled from the back, "Look at the God damn road!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Tori muttered, looking forward again, "But this is vital for the trial, which is _the day after tomorrow,"_

"Yes this is perfect. The guy's a witness to everything BioTech has done. If we get him to confess to whatever they did we can nail Mac," Liam said beaming,

"That's great, but how do we even contact the guy?" Ali said, "Did you know him Liam?"

"…no…,"

"But we have some of the greatest hackers in the world at our disposal. We'll find him," Tori said determinedly. Silence reigned again as they continued their drive before Tori addressed Ali,

"Are you okay?" she asked,

"Yeah, why? I took something for my hand, it doesn't even hurt anymore," she responded, holding up her wrapped hand so Tori could see it in the rear view mirror,

"That's great," Tori said dryly, "But I meant about how you got that injury and that whole debacle in general. You were in real danger—you could have died. I just want to make sure you're…you know, okay," Tori said shrugging. _And to make sure you're not traumatized,_ she added silently in her head. Ali let out an almost exasperated sounding sigh,

"I'm fine actually," she stated, "In fact, in some weird messed up way running from thugs and possibly saving Riley, had she not have gone into labor, was actually fun," Tori bit back groan. Why in the world was nearly being killed fun for Ali? Why was it fun for anyone! Sure, she did it nearly everyday and thought it was fun, and rewarding, but she didn't want her little sister to feel that same way or get it in her head that she could do it again. In fact Tori was a little pissed at Tim for involving any of her siblings, older or younger, at all,

"I don't understand that," Tori said finally shaking her head, "It's not supposed to be fun,"

"You do it," Ali stated, "Tim does it. Dick does it, your whole family does it,"

"That doesn't mean everyone should do it. It isn't always like that," Tori nearly snapped, "There's danger and people with sinister ideas and sinister ways and more often or not people die right in front of you even as you try to save them. This isn't a game. You could be hurt or worse killed or even worse—,"

"—Expelled?" Liam interrupted her tirade. Tori shot a glare at him, which he returned with an impish smirk, "Listen Tori, I get what Ali means. I even enjoyed breaking Adam out of Lex's building…but at the same time I was terrified. It's not for everyone I know, and Ali knows it too. It was just nice to get a taste of that kind of adrenaline rush you guys always talk about getting when saving people or taking out a bad guy. Through those two experiences we understand what you guys do a little bit better,"

"I know. But sometimes this kind of life can get to you. It creates fears and nightmares, regrets and guilt…it warps your perception of right and wrong and creates a morbid sense of reality. It shows you the reality of our world…and most of the time it's not pretty or nice," Tori said,

"We know," Liam stated, frowning,

"I know you know…well I just wanted to clarify that you knew," she stated, "I just…I'm worried that because of me you guys are all being pulled towards this life. I don't want you to be a part of something this dangerous. I'm virtually indestructible…you guys aren't,"

"Neither is anyone else…except for Superman," Ali stated, "It's not like we're drawing out costumes and creating codenames. We just want to be a part of your life Tori. You're slipping away on us…we were sent to another country while you remained here and became a bloody Talon! We didn't even know that happened until months afterwards. We know that you made sacrifices for us, but those sacrifices affected us too. Let us bear some of those sacrifices with you, no matter how small," Tori felt a prickle of tears as Ali said that. It was all too true, they'd been separated, Grant turned into a puppet for Lex and Liam turned Bionic…all because of her. All because she decided she could become a vigilante and went out on her own. She started that domino affect and it changed so many peoples' lives including her own. And while she can't change that, it still stung that the fact of it all was true,

"I'm sorry," she said, sniffing a little, "I didn't want this to happen to you guys…or anyone. None of this should have happened,"

"Tori, stop it!" Liam nearly snapped, "We're not sorry it happened. Despite this whole problem dividing us it also brought us closer together. We're closer to each other, Ali's not that much of a bitch anymore—,"

"—Hey!" Ali cried indignantly,

"We're closer to Tim and Stephanie because of you, we know a shit ton more about our parents because of you and we met our second cousin Dick because of you, not only that but his whole circus family. You made a difference in this world despite all your faults and you granted us the possibility to do it as well, no matter how short that moment was. This isn't a bad thing. It was a landslide of circumstance that spurred a mountain of monumental good,"

"Amen!" Ali said from the back causing Tori to laugh out loud as she turned into the hospital parking lot. The conversation was over for now, but it would come up time and time again in the future. Tori was sure it was, for now though, she'd let it be put to rest.

They stampeded through the doors and nearly ran past the check in desk, only to be stopped by a burly security guard,

"I had to deal with a hoard of paparazzi and I don't want to deal with a bunch of treacherous teens,"

"We're here to see our brother," Tori said, "Grant Crowne! You need to let us through,"

"That's where all the commotion is, adding you three would only make it worse,"

"They're family. I can't keep them from their brother," the lady at the desk said snidely to the guard, "He's in the third floor waiting room, but—" they didn't wait for her to finish. They all dashed around the desk and down the hall to the elevator. If Tori wasn't worried about Riley, she would have been freaking out about setting foot into a hospital again after she'd had a panic attack the last time she went to one. They tapped their feet impatiently as the elevator slowly made their ways up until finally they spilled out into the third level. They turned one corner searching for their brother and the waiting room. Tori heard him before she saw him,

"Get out of here!" Grant thundered angrily, "I don't care if you want the full story I want you out of this hospital!" Tori sprinted ahead of Liam and Ali, sliding to a stop before running down another hallway to see Grant in the center of a swarm of reporters and cameras. Each of them shouting for his attention,

"Grant!" she cried before running to him,

"Tori!" he cried, surprise on his face as she barreled into him hugging him hard. He picked her up and spun her around as cameras flashed around them. Once he put her down he opened his mouth to speak only he never got a word out as her fist slammed into his face,

"Ow! Shit Tori, what was that for!?"

"Disappearing for two years! What were you thinking!" She then turned to the paparazzi, "And you guys. _OUT! NOW!"_ her glare must've scared them because they scrambled towards the elevators,

"Grant!" Ali cried, throwing her arms round him. Liam stood a little ways away with his arms crossed, "How's Riley? What do you know?"

"I don't know anything yet. Other than what I told you, I'm in the dark," he said, hunching his shoulders slightly, his eyes filled with worry, "She's in surgery and that's all I know,"

"Then I guess all we can do is wait." Tori said.

* * *

And they waited, and waited, and waited. It seemed like they were there for an eternity. It was probably the hardest for Grant, but the constant noises of the hospital and the smells were getting to Tori. She almost opened the window that's how overwhelming things were getting. Grant paced restlessly, Liam sat in one of the chairs tapping his foot while Ali kept nodding off in her own chair. Tori stood by the window, looking out over the city and trying to ignore the fact that she was in a hospital with numerous people being cut open at a time. They kept on waiting and waiting and waiting until finally a nurse came out,

"Grant Crowne?" she asked calmly. Grant stumbled over to where the lady was, Tori, Liam and Ali hot on his heels,

"Yes? Where's Riley, is she okay?"

"Your wife is still in surgery, but we managed to deliver the baby fairly quickly. You are now the father of a healthy baby girl,"

"What?" Grant said stunned, "She's okay?"

"Yes, she just had a check up with one of the doctors and she's in perfect health. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes!" Grant stated, "But what about Riley?"

"As I said, she's still in surgery," the nurse said before turning and beckoning them to follow her down the hall,

"Nurses, great for roundabout answers," Ali muttered from next to Tori. She let out a snort as they turned the corner. The nurse led them down another series of hallways before stopping at the window where several newborn babies lay either sleeping or kicking their little feet and waving their hands around,

"There," the nurse said pointing to a small pink blanket wrapped baby. She was awake and looked rather angry about it. Her little hat had fallen off revealing a surprising amount of very dark wavy curls. Her eyes were a brilliant green like her mother's,

"Awww, she's so cute," Ali said, smiling through the window, "When do I get to hold her?"

"Probably after Grant and Riley get to hold her," Tori stated,

"If she—," Grant started,

"—Don't think like that," Tori interrupted him, "Just don't even try,"

"Yeah, don't torture yourself," Liam said,

"It's not like we all didn't when it was Tori in the hospital," Grant muttered,

"That actually wasn't me," Tori reminded him,

"Does that matter? We all thought it was you. Crowne's don't really have much luck in hospitals,"

"I'm sure if anything happened to Riley Tori could take her to the Court of Owls and they'd bring her back," Ali said, rolling her eyes and nudging Tori with her elbow. Tori glared at her sister,

"Very funny," she deadpanned, "But don't give Grant any ideas,"

"Court of what?" Grant asked, giving them a confused look,

"Wait…you don't know—?" Ali trailed off looking over at Tori and Liam,

"Don't know what?" Grant snapped, "There seems to be a shit ton I don't know about here!"

"Well maybe if you hadn't run off you would be in the know," Tori stated,

"Well I wasn't here, there's nothing we can do about it so tell me what you mean! What is this Court thing and how are you involved?!" Tori bit her lip before letting out a sigh,

"This is the second time I have to explain this. It's really not a great experience…but I guess it's only fair. And it will pass the time," Taking a deep breath Tori began to tell the tale of the Court and how she, through Mac, had been forced to be a part of it.

At least explaining everything got his mind off his worry for Riley. Grant was a good listener, though she could tell that the story confused him more than angered him. She understood, unless you were apart of a group of people who faced things like this on a regular basis undead assassins were very hard to believe and understand. As well as relatives who should have been dead decades ago still walking and being super annoying,

"So…so…you're an _assassin?"_ he asked after a few moments of silence as he processed what Tori had just told him,

"Well, I used to be. I started patrolling with the Bats after that happened…and after a lot of re-training not to kill on instinct," she answered,

"And you're what…dead but not dead?"

"I prefer brought back for a different purpose," Tori stated, frowning slightly,

"And these people have been running Gotham from the shadows since forever?"

"Yeah, and no matter what we do they keep coming back," Ali stated, rather furiously, "The assholes,"

"And all this happened while I was gone?"

"Yeah. So you can see why we're all a little pissed about that," Liam stated, crossing his arms as the lights flickered above,

"Liam calm down. There are people on life support, if you overcharge this building they'll die," Tori said. Liam shot her a glare before taking a deep breath in an effort to calm down. The flickering stopped, but ever so often they'd flicker again. Tori didn't say anything, as long as nothing drastic happened he can make them flicker as much as he wanted to. Though he should learn how to control his abilities,

"And our great-grandfather isn't really our great-grandfather but this other Talon guy is?" Tori nodded,

"Well then I guess we're all semi-illegitimate then," Grant said, causing Ali to bark out a laugh, "But seriously this is so messed up. Liam's Bionic, Tori's a Talon and running with Ba—," Grant cut himself off as a doctor walked out into the waiting room, which was surprisingly empty except for them. He looked very stoic,

"The hemorrhaging was very serious. It was a miracle Superman found her and brought her here in time. I managed to stop the bleeding, deliver the baby and repair the damage that caused the bleeding. She will need to remain in the ICU for twenty-four hours just for observation before being moved to her own room," Grant blinked at the doctor, before a wildly relieved and broad grin erupted on his face,

"Can I see here?"

"She's asleep, but you can sit with her. Only one family member at a time in the ICU, the rest of you can visit tomorrow evening if she's stable enough to be moved,"

"Thank you doctor," Grant said before hurrying off down the hallway he'd pointed to. Tori felt vey relieved. She didn't really remember knowing Riley, but she seemed like a sweet and smart woman so she was very happy for both her and Grant that she was okay,

"Let's get back home guys. It's very late and I'm sure everyone wants to know that she's okay," Ali nodded tiredly before following Tori back towards the elevators, "Oh, and by the way. We have a second cousin once removed coming in a few months,"

"What! Barbara's pregnant! What is this a baby boom in our family?" Ali exclaimed,

"What, you're not happy for them?" Liam asked as the elevator dinged its arrival,

"No I am, it's just screaming babies don't appeal to me," Ali said,

"You've dealt with Cameron when he was born. You also might change your mind once you're older," Tori sing-songed smiling,

"I doubt it." was the muttered and defiant response.

* * *

A/N: I've already started the next part and I'm super excited. Yay! Sorry for the late post, I forgot it was Monday!

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Next chapter on Monday!


	46. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter: 46

Tori, uncomfortably, stepped through the sliding doors of the hospital on her own. It was the first time she'd step into a hospital by herself since the whole Mac thing happened and she wasn't liking it very much, but she was determined to get through it. She wanted to meet her niece in person afterall and while Jason would be thrilled to spend the day with Tori, hospitals were not his thing either. Especially not with all the needles around, that phobia for him was even greater than the one Tori had for hospitals as a whole. She respected that and let him have the day to spend time with Roy and Kory. Dick was off with Barbara doing a make-up appointment with their own doctor, he'd been to see the baby himself earlier that day. Ali and Cameron went earlier themselves before they left with Arthur for London again. Liam had classes that day, while Tori only had one in the morning—college was awesome that way—so it was her turn to visit.

She made her way to the room Grant had texted her they were in. He'd gotten a new real phone, not a burner, once he'd dropped out of Lex's service. He was camping out at the Manor until the trial had passed and Luthor was hopefully behind bars if all went well that is. The trial was tomorrow. Tori was nervous, really nervous about it. She and Liam were definitely testifying against Mac, but the real problem would be Lex. Even if Grant testified and stated that he acted under duress there might be consequences for him, and he didn't want to risk not seeing his daughter grow up. He amended he might testify…he wasn't fully committed to it, but he was an option. Adam didn't want any part of the trial. As far as the world knew he was dead, and testifying would change that. He was terrified of Luthor and even if what he said in court put the billionaire in jail, he'd come after Adam as soon as he was out…at least that's what Adam thought. Both Grant and Adam were still mentionable witnesses that would be used in the trial, but they both had the right not to show up…and that's what was worrying Tori. She wanted to get them both. She wanted Luthor and Mac in jail for what they did to her and the other kids.

The old her, the Talon her, would have wanted them dead…and maybe a small part of her still wants that, but that isn't so necessary to her now. The only thing she wants is justice and compensation to supply STAR Labs with enough funding to find a way to free the Bionic kids from their chips without killing them…if they wanted that. She wouldn't force them to lose the chips, not like she was forced to. She shuddered as she walked at the thought of what she went through the first and second time her own chip had been removed. She didn't want anyone to go through what she did. Everything was happening so fast. The trial was tomorrow. _Tomorrow!_

Tori shook her head to calm herself down. She'd tried not to think about tomorrow too much, or work herself into a panic over it. She instead focused on her schoolwork and fixing the Batcave's lights. And after being electrocuted three times, she finally managed to fix both her schoolwork and the lights. After that she focused on figuring out what to wear. Her lawyer, Brittany Corsairs, had outlined pretty much how the whole thing should go as well as what was appropriate to wear, but that didn't mean Tori didn't worry about what the people in the courtroom would think of her. She didn't know who'd be on the jury, or who the judge would be. Those people would hear her side of the story and then hear Mac's side and decide who was right. Brittany thought they had it in the bag…but with so many of the witnesses possibly not showing up Tori was beginning to have her doubts.

Finally reaching the door, Tori forced a smile on her face and took a deep breath. For a few more hours, the trial didn't matter. What mattered was family. She knocked on the door,

"Come in!" called a familiar voice. Tori's grin widened as she pushed into the room to see Riley in bed, propped up by pillows with a tray of food on her lap. Grant sat on her right with the baby in his arms,

"I hope he's let you hold her," Tori said by way of greeting,

"After much pleading and begging I managed a mere five minutes," Riley replied, smirking at her…fiancé? Boyfriend? Husband…it was really unclear. But Tori wasn't going to ask. She instead took a seat on the other side of Riley,

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, and sore," she said, grimacing at the fact, "The doctor said the damage wasn't actually as bad as it could have been. For one thing, I was far enough along that delivery wasn't a dangerous option…the only issue was it had to be done through a C-section. I was close to getting a hysterectomy though,"

"The doctors are concerned that because this happened, the baby may have some growth issues," Grant added,

"But we'll keep an eye on that," Riley said reassuringly,

"So, what are you naming this little baby," Tori asked, smiling at the gurgling baby,

"Cordelia Rosalie Crowne," Grant said, dropping a kiss on his daughter's head. It was weird to see her brother so affectionate. Sure, he had been to his siblings, but that was a different kind of familial love. This was his daughter, this was a different type of affection. It was one Tori probably wouldn't understand until she had children of her own. A ripple of unease and excitement soared through her at the thought of that. Of course back in the other world she'd jokingly mentioned naming her and Jason's first child Sweeney…but that wasn't real, that was her trying to make Jason laugh and take his mind of his nightmare. Now…looking at her brother with his daughter Tori realized just how much has changed over the past few years…and how much things would change even later in the future. It was scary, but exciting. Tori couldn't help but smile, then frown,

"Darn…there goes my name for a girl. I liked Rosalie," Riley chuckled,

"It's only a middle name, you can use it if you like," Tori grinned,

"I'll be happy to share it," she replied,

"Would you like to hold her?" Grant asked,

"That's the only reason I came," Tori joked before holding out her arms. Grant carefully deposited Cordelia into her arms and only after a second of bobbling and worried leaning forward by both Riley and Grant, Tori comfortably sat back with her niece in her arms properly,

"Hey little Cordy, you chose a hell of a family to come into," she said to the little green eyed baby, "And your name is super ironic because in King Lear you're namesake was the only honest and genuine character in the play. Something your father could learn to be,"

"Tori," Grant sighed, rolling his eyes,

"Don't blame me for my literary knowledge," Tori said, smiling impishly, "She is so cute. Can I steal her?"

"No,"

"I could literally run and jump out this window with her, I'd be gone before you could follow," Tori said starting to rise,

"Tori!" Grant said rising with her,

"I'm kidding!" Tori exclaimed, laughing only to stop as Cordelia started to cry, "Ah! I didn't mean it Cordy! I swear! Take her back, she's yours!" Tori handed the bawling baby back to her brother before taking her seat again,

"Are you worried about the trial?" Grant asked after he finally calmed down Cordelia,

"Are you going to testify?" Tori asked in return. Grant sighed,

"I don't know Tori, I just don't know,"

"Then I'm worried,"

"Don't be. Mac will be put away for good, that's a given," Riley said,

"But Luthor might not," Tori put in, "Adam downright refused to testify against him and Grant's not sure…Liam can't be used because he technically broke into Luthor's house to get Adam, plus the emails were hacked into illegally. And Tim can't be used because he used his vigilante persona to also broke into Luthor's building,"

"I know, but do you really need to go after Luthor? He's a powerful enemy Tori," Grant said,

"I've faced worse,"

"You would be hunted down by his allies,"

"I've been hunted down since I left the Court. Even Cobb's truce isn't enough to keep most assassins away,"

"Exactly. Two dangerous enemies against you? Not to mention all of Jason's enemies? You're not invincible Tori, you could still die for real,"

"Jason has nothing to do with this. This is about the trial. This is about doing what's right. This is about justice. Don't you want justice for what he put you and Riley through? What about justice for Adam? I know you took him in, I know you care for him. Wouldn't you want just that for all he put Adam through?"

"I didn't come here to fight Tori," Grant said, "I just became a father. I can't watch her grow up behind bars,"

"The probability of that happening is slim—,"

"—but it's still a possibility Tori," Grant said, "I can't do that,"

"It wouldn't even be that long!"

"But that stain would still be on me long after I'm out. I can't risk that,"

"Every single one of us should be behind bars for what we do. In the eyes of the law we are illegally taking the law into our own hands, yet we are not placed in handcuffs,"

"That's because you work alongside the police Tori. You know that. And Both of us know that I'm no vigilante. I know you want to kill two birds with one stone tomorrow. But even if you mention Luthor, that's another trial with better lawyers and a man who will and can do anything to keep himself out of jail. I'd be painting a target on my and my family's backs,"

"Sometimes sacrifice is needed to protect those you care about," Tori said, "I certainly learned that. I've done a lot for this family. I sent them to London, I became a Talon so no one else would…while you ran away and toiled in things that you shouldn't have. Imagine if we never knew what you'd done, if Liam never sought you out, if Riley had Cordelia, they would both be used against your forever. You'd still be Luthor's little bitch," Tori grounded out, her anger getting the best of her. Grant's glare darkened and silence filled the room,

"Well, since horrible things have already been said, I think it's best we gave each other some space and let both of you think this whole conversation over," Riley said, firmly and calmly. Tori stood and left the room. Her heart heavy by what she'd just said…but she was angry. She gave and gave and gave while Grant had gone off without looking back, and he was doing it again. She didn't understand him sometimes. He was her brother, she'd love him no matter what. But no one pushed her buttons as much as Grant did. With a sigh Tori started towards the elevators. What happened would happen. Tomorrow was tomorrow and what happened would happen.

* * *

A/N: The trial's next! I can't believe this is almost over. I hope you guys liked this, and that you're excited for the fourth and probably final part of Tori's story! Huge thanks to everyone who has read all of Tori's stories right from when I started them to now and later in the future. I love it when I find I have another follower or someone reviewed my story or that someone from another country read this story, it makes me so happy!

Remember to Review! Next chapter on Monday!


	47. Chapter 47

A/N: I just want to start off by saying that I am not a lawyer. I don't actually know how a court case works per se, but I did some research and used some notes from when I did a mock trial for my forensic science summer program thingy and I think I did a pretty good job. I don't know what the judge says at the beginning or end so I just made the judge seem super official and stuff. Sorry if it's not fantastic or accurate. I really tried guys.

Also, just in case some of you guys were wondering and based on the question I got in the reviews, the Batfamily can't testify in court Because everything they do is technically illegal. Yes they sort of work with the police, but they can't testify in a court room because only the police and experts in the forensic field can legally explain and supply that evidence. Sure the Batfamily are experts, but since they obtained the evidence semi-illegally they can't do anything with it. Once it's in police custody though they, the police, can use it. I'm no expert but that's what I think makes police see the evidence in plain view, they can use it. Batman's like the middle man in bringing evidence to where the police can see and use it as well as matching faces with that evidence every time he drops a criminal at the precinct.

Okay! Onto the chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. :/ (can someone let me know if I even have to do this still? My bro says I don't have to but idk, he could be fucking with me)

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 47

Tori fidgeted in her seat. She didn't know what to do or how to sit. It was too difficult to tell what was acceptable or not…so she just fidgeted. She'd chosen to go simple with her outfit. Black on black. A black dress with black tights and flats. Her hair pulled up into a bun. Minimal make-up, as she usually did everyday if she ever decided to put some on. Brittany sat beside her going over her notes and pieces of evidence. Mac hadn't been led out yet and she wasn't sure how she'd react upon seeing him. Tim, Stephanie, Barbara, Dick, Bruce and Damian…even Alfred, sat in the row behind where Tori and Brittany sat. All there for moral support. _I just need to get through opening statements, the presentation of evidence, rulings by the judge, closing statements, instructions to the jury and deliberations. That's all I need to get through_ Tori thought to herself. She thought it over and over again, as if thinking it faster would make it go faster.

The courtroom was full. Almost every seat was filled. Some were the elite her parents had known. Tori had no idea why they would come to something as boring to them as a court case, maybe they did it out of a sense of respect to her mother, but Tori suspected it was just for attention. Jenna was sitting a few rows behind Tori, with Edith—a friend from the dance team Tori met—, and Jeremy another friend Tori made in college. She had others, but they all had classes today. Many law students were in the court room too, hoping to get some extra credit for their classes and to get their feet somewhat wet concerning the world of Law. Even Clark was there, though she didn't know if he was there as himself or as the press getting an inside scoop of the trial. She didn't know if that was even allowed so she hoped it was just him there for moral support.

The door in the back of the room opened to reveal the bailiff. Tori felt nauseous as the large man strode into the room to announce in a loud voice,

"All rise for the Judge!" everyone stood as the judge. A middle age woman, walked calmly over to where she'd sit for the duration of the trial,

"Sit," she said curtly, her eyes like ice. Tori didn't like that, "Bring out the defendant Mac Desmond," she said to the bailiff who disappeared and returned a moment later with two police men escorting Mac through the doors. He was wearing a suit and looked more haggard than the last time Tori had seen him. He still walked with a limp, even though it had been two years since Tori shattered the bone in that leg. Tori didn't even feel repulsed by that odd thrill of smugness at that realization. _Let him suffer_ , a dark part of her mind thought. Once he and his lawyer had been seated the judge looked out over the courtroom before speaking,

"Let's begin."

* * *

Tori zonked out during opening statements and most of the physical evidence that was provided for and against Mac. She was still all too focused on when it would be her turn to take the stand and be questioned and cross examined. She knew it was coming up, and she didn't think she could do it. She felt sick again. Suddenly something fell from the rafters of the courtroom. A little black round thing. Tori subtly glanced around the room to see if anyone noticed before slyly picking the thing up. She then brushed a hand through a dangling piece of her hair to disguise putting the comm in her ear,

"This is so boring," Jason's voice murmured in her ear. Tori couldn't help but grin, her nerves lessening. She stopped the grin as soon as it came, this was supposed to be serious, but hearing his voice—she just couldn't help it,

"You're going to get us both in trouble," she muttered, barely a whisper,

"I'm legally dead. What can they do?" Tori bit down on her lip to keep from laughing,

"I can't talk to you…not when there's so many people here," Tori breathed into the comm,

"I know. But I can keep you company through the comm. I can practically see you internally worrying yourself into a panic attack. You'll do fine," Tori didn't reply,

"Did you know the judge has a bald spot on the back of her head? She tried to hide it, but it's clear as day from where I am. I didn't even know women could go bald," Tori had to cough to disguise her laugh, "Also, I've been spitting onto Mac's head for the past ten minutes. He's probably wondering if it's raining and the roofs leaking or if he's really sweating _that_ much,"

"Ten points if you hit him with a booger," Tori hissed silently into the comm,

"I'm on it," Jason said. Tori smirked before steeling her expression. It was time for her to be sworn in and questioned.

After being sworn in and taking her seat next to the judge, Brittany rose and walked over to the stand. She offered Tori a small smile,

"So, you had no memory of what happened to you until you lived in Gotham with your family for a while?"

"Yes," Tori said,

"How is that possible? Was it caused by something or was it in reaction to what happened to you?"

"Mac had a machine that could erase people's memories. It's this giant glass tube hooked up to a series of computer monitors. He types something in and then…you forget,"

"Do you remember what it felt like?" Brittany asked, glancing briefly over at the jury,

"It was painful," Tori said, "But the worst was afterwards…that's when you have a headache for hours,"

"And you eventually started to remember, even when you were held captive by the defendant?"

"Yes,"

"What was remembering like,"

"It was…disorienting. I got headaches a lot, nightmares, daydreams of memories. They just popped up whenever and they were either of my life…or of my year as a captive,"

"Hm…nightmares I see. So you were held by this man for a year," Tori nodded,

"Yes,"

"What was that like? What did he put you through?" Tori didn't answer right away. She didn't know where to begin. She hadn't even told Jason, Tim, Dick, Damian, Alfred, Stephanie, Bruce or Barbara all of what she remembered from being held by Mac. Tori didn't know how they would react. But she took a deep breath and began to speak. She told about the maze and Mac trying to activate super-speed. She spoke of the poisoned cookie and how she couldn't eat chocolate anymore because of it. She spoke about running away earlier than when she was found and being dragged back and forced to forget everything she fought to remember. Tori spoke about sitting in the pitch black dark for days trying to achieve night-vision. She spoke of frantically running away from giant metal cyborgs until she discovered her super strength and could fight back, not without a few injuries doctors would confirm old and healed broken bones and fractures from when she'd been returned to Gotham later in the trial. Tori mentioned how she discovered she had heat-vision by getting so angry she set Cassidy's lab coat on fire. Tori had been forced underwater for minutes on end to try and see if she could breath underwater. There's was much more that had happened. Her throat hurt by the time she was done,

"And after all that…has it affected you to this day?" Brittany asked, offering a kind, proud smile,

"Well…my memory is still wanky. I have either completely forgotten something from my past or I forget things on a daily basis. The latter not as often, but it still sometimes happens. I can't eat chocolate. I get sick every time I try. I have nightmares. I can't go into hospitals without freaking out. So yes. It has affected me to this day,"

"That is all the questions I have for the witness," Brittany said, returning to her seat. Mac's lawyer rose this time and approached the stand. Tori didn't think he'd have much to ask, but he seemed confident in his approach,

"So Victoria, the chip you had in your neck is gone…is it not?"

"Well—,"

"—you do not have the chip that contains the abilities you had?" he pressed,

"No. I don't have it. It's gone," Tori said. She couldn't lie under oath,

"But…isn't the result of removing that chip death? How are you even alive right now?" Tori's heart raced, as did her mind. What did he know? Did Mac tell his lawyer that she was a Talon…were they going to use that against her? What would that accomplish? What would the jury think? Would her being a Talon change their mind on the whole thing. Her whole life would change if everyone knew,

"Did you lie about that? Can the chip simply be removed?"

"No. The chip cannot be removed. I was the outlier. I was older, these kids…the few that we have found…they're younger. The strain of removing the chip would be too much for them. When I was in high school we tried to remove the chip and I nearly died for real. There's evidence for that if you were paying attention," some people coughed over their laughs but Dick laughed outright forcing Barbara to smack him in the arm. Tori couldn't help but smile too. The lawyer looked unperturbed,

"So you didn't remove the chip that time. But you were kidnapped again. By unknown kidnappers and you couldn't use those incredible abilities you still had to escape?" Tori's back tingled,

"I—," Tori stopped, considering her words,

"You had the chip then didn't you? So why not use it to escape…and on top of that when you were returned to Wayne Manor, you were chip free…so who or what removed that chip and how are you alive?"

"Let her answer," the Judge chided softly. Tori took a deep breath…she didn't know what to say,

"I didn't have the energy to escape using my abilities," Tori said finally, "I wasn't fed properly, I was tired. I needed fuel through calories to use my abilities and that wasn't an option during that time. I couldn't access them,"

"Ah yes, you needed food to fuel the chip that was fused to your nervous system. So how could you remove something that integrated with your body without dying like many of the others would if we tried?"

"I don't know. I'm an outlier maybe. Maybe it was something they did. I wasn't exactly aware of what they were doing until it was too late to stop them. They ripped it out against my will. My only shot at escape, and they ripped it out. Nothing for the pain, no warning. They just ripped in and yanked it out," Tori sneered, her anger getting the best of her. It wasn't exactly a lie. It was more of an obstruction of the truth,

"Fine. Then the murders of all scientists, including the head scientist Cassidy King…awfully convenient? The murderer was never found, and based on how they were killed someone had some beef with Biotech. The Company accused of working side by side with the defendant—,"

"—objection, unrelated. The witness was abducted during the time of that murder," Tori had to steal her face as the judge allowed that objection…she did have something to do with that murder, but no one knew that. Except for her, her family, and Mac,

"If you have no other relative questions Mr. Kower, please let us move on,"

"Fine. No further questions for the witness," he muttered moving back to his seat as Tori scampered free and back to her's. Sitting on the stand was like sitting in a cage. She was picked apart by words and things she did in the attempt to make her slip, to make her look like the bad guy,

"I'd like to call Liam Crowne to the stand," Brittany said. Liam slowly walked up to the bailiff and was sworn in before taking his seat at the stand,

"Liam. You knew nothing about Biotech's connection to Mac, correct?"

"Yes," Liam said. He looked very calm despite how nervous Tori knew he felt. The oath itself, while just a bunch of words, weighed very heavily on those who say it—at least Tori hoped it did. People could lie all they wanted to in court…though afterwards they might regret it,

"And you worked there only because of financial problems in your London household?"

"Yes," Liam said again,

"And while working there you found blueprints of a secret room that you had no clue about?"

"…yes. I didn't know about the room,"

"And you found the blueprints?" Brittany asked, clarifying. _C'mon Liam, don't be super honest, not right now._ Tori thought, _You did find them!_ Sure he hacked into the computer once discovering money had been pooled to build a room not listed or shown anywhere on the blueprint everyone thought was Biotech. While he had been a coffee boy for most workers there and Cassidy's assistant, he was also a part of the group of people who worked the finances of the company,

"Yeah, I found the blueprints," Liam confirmed, not even a twitch of discomfort in his posture or face. He reminded Tori of Maud in that moment, she could turn her expression and posture to stone if she wanted to,

"And you decided to investigate. Find out why there were blueprints for a room that didn't exist,"

"Yes,"

"Once you found it…you lose your memory of what you found, right?"

"Not completely. I remember being caught, I remember there being some probationary consequences, but I never forgot the room,"

"Who ordered those consequences?"

"Cassidy King,"

"The head of Biotech?"

"Yes. She works…well…worked with Mac,"

"Yes. It is understood that Tori mentioned Cassidy King being with the defendant during her year of captivity. What else makes you believe she works with Mac?"

"Well, for one thing. She made me Bionic," Liam admitted. Gasps all around,

"Would you mind proving that statement?" Brittany asked,

"Not at all. In fact it would be my pleasure," Liam said, throwing a glare—the only break in his expressionless mask of ice—at Mac as he lifted his hands encased in spirals of electricity. Loud gasps from the jury, judge and audience,

"Do you know why she did that? Or why she could only erase a section of your mind…actually not even that, make you forget about the procedure and aftermath of giving you a chip?"

"No. I can only assume she and Biotech were working on creating better tech than what Mac had in his lab so that the person who was given Bionics wouldn't lose their entire memories and so that they can rewrite whatever part of that person's memories when they wanted to,"

"Now, understand that is only an assumption…but a very logical point. Biotech was helping the defendant and his partner create these super soldiers underneath the worlds' noses, even if they did not know it themselves," Brittany stated, "I am done questioning the witness," Mac's lawyer rose. That made Tori nervous. They didn't think he'd have anything to refute from Liam's testimony,

"I have only one question for you sir. How did you obtain those blueprints?"

"Uh—," Liam started,

"I mean. If Biotech was trying to hide its affiliation with Mac…why just have blueprints lying around here coffee boys could find them? Sorry, coffee-finance boys," he said, causing Liam to glare at him before schooling his features back emotionless again,

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want me to be blunt? Fine. Did you hack into Cassidy's computer to get those blueprints? I know, from your application for Biotech that you are very skilled with computer science. So did you or did you not, hack into Cassidy King's computer?"

"I did not hack her computer. She had asked me to grab something from her office for her as she headed to an out of the blue meeting. I was only doing what she asked. They were on her computer and I glanced at them. I was curious," Liam said shrugging,

"How could a glance give you the location of the room?"

"I have a very good memory," Liam said, "Despite it being altered, I am good at remembering things. Everyone in my family has a good memory. After I saw the room I investigated legally on _my_ company issued computer to see if money had been invested in that room. And it had been," The lawyer looked slightly annoyed before sighing,

"No further questions for the witness." Brittany called the scientist who lived through the massacre at Biotech, which confirmed Cassidy's and Biotech's involvement with Mac and his experiments. Tori spent the whole questioning sequence worrying he'd remember her face. Out of fear of recognition she kept her head down slightly and her eyes to the floor. She had a hood, but even when she was a mindless killer for the Court, she refused to wear the usual owl mask all the assassins wore. It didn't seem like he remembered her, for that Tori was thankful. Or if he did remember her, he didn't show it. He stated he acted in duress. Cassidy had threatened to give his son a chip. There wasn't much Mac's lawyer could poke holes in for Dr. Davensmith's testimony, the questions Brittany asked were simple and virtually irrefutable. Now came the moment of truth,

"I call Grant Crowne to the stand." Brittany said.

* * *

A/N: Okay so I know that usually the defendant has their own witnesses but due to the fact that Mac is from an alternate dimension, he has none. Therefore I didn't put any in. I guess he could've threatened the scientist from Biotech in some way, but Tori got to him first. And I know...I also added onto Liam's duties at Biotech for the sake of the story...I'm sorry! Think of it this way, I didn't change anything, I just included information that wasn't mentioned in Things to Understand. Hope you thought this part of the trial was interesting! You'll have to wait to see if Grant shows up to be a witness next Monday! (And OMG I had such difficulty getting this chapter up. It kept saying there were errors and the sever couldn't go through with the request and shit. :|).

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	48. Chapter 48

A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you don't hate me for making you wait to see if Grant shows up or not! Lol. Just giving an update on the next story I have coming out after I finish this one. I'm seven chapters in so I hope you're excited for it.

Now onto the chapter.

Disclaimer: Nothing. I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 48

Silence reigned. Tori's heart dropped, of course he wouldn't show. It had been unfair to ask…but she'd hopped—suddenly there was the sound of someone standing, and her brother, in all his glory made his way down towards the bailiff. He was sworn in and took his seat at the stand. Brittany, smiling with relief, moved forward to start her questions but Grant held up his hand,

"I don't need any questions. I know what you're going to ask, and I know what I'm going to say. Two days ago, my daughter was born. Two days ago I became a father and I thought I would not be here out of fear that I'd never see her grow up. But now I understood fear is how I got myself here, and I want to teach her that isn't how anyone should live. I am Grant Crowne, and I worked for the man who funded Mac's experiments,"

"And who is that person?"

"At this moment, I'll take the fifth. Only because I need to explain how I came to work for him. I will answer your question, I can promise you that,"

"Then tell us your story," Brittany said, Tori wasn't sure he could do that,

"I'm probably not allowed to do this," Grant said looking over at the judge, "But it will be easier this way. I acted in duress. He threatened my wife, though I worked for him long before I married her. After my mother and Max died, I didn't take care of my siblings like I should have, I was scared of failing them…scared that I'd never live my life the way I wanted to even if they grew up and left. I didn't want to be their father. I was there brother, I couldn't be anything else to them…at least that's what I cooked up in my mind. So I left to complete college…only I didn't. I dropped out. I was angry about so many things, I drank a lot and did drugs and many stupid things that I will not mention out of the fact that my younger siblings are in the courtroom. I ended up out on the streets, having blown off my inheritance through buying drugs, paying bail a few times and gambling. It wasn't a good time for me. I felt like the world was against me and I couldn't, wouldn't call my siblings for help because I didn't want them to see what became of me. That's when Riley came into the picture. She found me and took me to her apartment. She was attending Metropolis College at the time and had an apartment of her own then. We had dated in high school and in college, though we went to different schools which made it hard to see each other. How she recognized me I'll never know.

"I stayed for weeks. She would go to classes and I would try to find work. I couldn't live there forever. I couldn't do that to her. I didn't have any money and I couldn't keep taking from her. Eventually I went to the underworld of Metropolis…well, what passed for the underworld of Metropolis…and met a woman named Mercy. She mentioned that there was someone who needed muscle for hire. I'd been on the football team for both high school and college, but over the months I'd lost any muscle I'd had before I was offered the job. I declined, but then she told me how much I'd get…and the training that was included. I was hooked. I started to train,"

"Where did you train?" Brittany asked, "Did your new boss send you there?"

"I went to Santa Prisca. And yeah. It was all paid for by the bossman. Bane's men who stay there while he does who knows what in Gotham and other cities trained me. He and the bossman had some sort of agreement or something. I eventually returned to Metropolis and started working for the boss. I married Riley in that time. She graduated from college by then. We were happy. We had everything we could have hoped for…but then I noticed something wasn't right. I didn't understand why our boss needed so many armed guards. I didn't know what the whispers of the guards meant. I didn't know what Bionic meant or what that strange machine people would offhandedly mention was. I knew something was wrong with what we were doing. I knew that man—," Grant pointed at Mac, "—seemed familiar,"

"So what did you do?"

"I worked my way up the ranks to personal bodyguard. I found out everything. I found out about Mac, about what he did to my sister and now my brother. I found out what that machine was for, I found out pretty much the whole damn plan. And I couldn't do anything about it. Even though we were his guard, we were watched like hawks too. There was no trust anywhere. I didn't do anything in an act of rebellion until he told me to kill one of the Bionic kids who wasn't useful anymore. Instead of killing him, I let him go. I kept in contact and made sure that he was safe. But the boss knew I'd done something. He didn't bring up his suspicions until about ten months ago or so…Riley and I had been keeping the kid with us. It was the only place they wouldn't look. But the boss knew I done something to let the kid live and slip through his fingers, so he said if I stepped out of line again—," Grant stopped to swallow, "—If I stepped out of line again, he'd kill Riley," Gasps, some of the jurors were wiping away tears,

"He wouldn't kill me, he'd kill her. We'd just found out she was pregnant. And I couldn't say anything not even an anonymous tip to the police. He's watched me like a hawk since he threatened her. He moved us to a different apartment building, one that he owns. One he can always control and keep an eye on. He had me take jobs with associates for him elsewhere. Away from Metropolis. I hardly saw Riley. I knew going along with my boss was wrong, working for him was wrong. But I do not regret saving that kid's life or defying my boss finally. I knew what he'd done, I knew he'd funded Mac's project that turned all these innocent kids into super soldiers with powers they can't control and no memory to guide their morals. I hated it, but I couldn't risk Riley…not with him,"

"And who is 'him'?" Brittany asked again,

"Lex Luthor," Grant said. Gasps echoed all around, but Tori didn't hear them. She didn't know that Grant had spiraled out of control when Maud and Max died. She never knew how much he hurt, how much anger he had directed towards their parents for leaving him and forced him to turn his back on Tori and the rest of their siblings out of fear of failing them. She didn't know how much he needed them. And here she had been, blaming him for not acting sooner, for even falling in with Lex. Her brother had been hurting and they hadn't been there for him…only Riley had,

"Thank you for telling your story. I'm sure that the acting in duress aspect is clear. I have no further questions for the witness," Brittany said before sitting down again,

"Well I do," Mac's lawyer said, "Why not contact Superman?"

"Well…it's not like I have him on speed dial," Grant said, "And as I said I was watched like a hawk,"  
"And yet you were there when your daughter was born,"

"Well we weren't going to have the baby in our apartment. She needed surgery, we needed to get there to make sure both of them were safe,"

"Yes, but in reports filled out by the doctor who delivered your child…Superman flew her to the hospital,"  
"He heard the screaming of my wife and the yelling,"

"But you arrived later. That's also in there. You weren't with her when the contractions started,"

"True, I came later. But my sister Ali…misguidedly found my address and went to see her. That's how Superman found her. My sister can scream rather loudly," Grant said with a fond smile,

"But I thought you had no contact with your siblings?"

"How do you think I heard about this trial? Sure…we still have our issues to sort out, but we're talking. We're a family. I wasn't there for Tori when she came back to us…not in the way it mattered. But I am here for her now. Her and Liam, and Ali and Cameron. I'm not abandoning them again," he locked eyes with Tori, and she gave him a smile back,

"No further questions," Mr. Kower ground out. It was hard to leave out the vigilantes. Knowing them would be suspicious and they weren't exactly viable in court. The police and the justice system were completely separate. Yes Batman worked with the police, but he couldn't testify in court because in the eye of the courts, anything he touched or did or said is technically illegal because he is taking the law into his own hands. But they weren't lying…more like saying the truth with a hint of a lie,

"I call my last witness, Adam Banks, to the stand," silence followed. Tori bit her lip in worry. Adam was the one suspect who could really prove it was Lex Luthor who funded Mac's experiment. Holding a Bionic kid against his will for personal gain and to help the other world with their own idea of experiments. Brittany looked as unsure as Tori felt. She of course wouldn't blame Adam if he didn't show, he's been through a lot but his testimony would be greatly appreciated. Right when the judge was about to dismiss the call for Adam as a witness, he appeared right in front of the bailiff, causing the poor man to nearly drop the book and have a heart attack,

"I'm here! I'm here!" Adam called, "They wouldn't open the doors so I—uh—I popped in!" Several people stared at Adam opened mouthed. One woman, started to cry. It took Tori a moment to realize why, it was his _mother_. Adam was sworn in and took his spot at the stand,

"I'm calling you to the stand to clarify and confirm that Lex Luthor funded the defendant's experiments,"

"He did. He gave money to Mac for him to create Bionic super soldiers. I was one of them, but my specific skill set was useful to Lex so I wasn't kept with the other kids,"

"What's your specific skill set?" Brittany asked,

"Teleporting," Adam said,

"And what would Lex Luthor need teleporting for?"

"Well, I can teleport between universes," Adam said, "Yeah. I know, that's totally unrealistic, but I have proof," he pulled out a newspaper and a picture, "This is the newspaper with the destruction of the Hall of Justice as the headline…and you all know that ours is still standing. Also, this is a picture of me with the Nightwing of that same world who is wearing blue, not red. Also his age is to prove that that universe is happening relatively at the same time as ours, it's just different," Tori almost giggled at the picture of a confused Nightwing and Adam grinning with an arm thrown over his shoulder, "You can keep them if you want to make sure it's authentic or whatever," Adam said, handing the documents to the judge,

"What does Lex want with the other world?"

"Well, he didn't want anything from it…other than money. His doppelgänger gave him a lot of money to fund Mac's project. Mac came from their world to this one, I don't know how…you could ask him, but that's why he needed money, he had none coming in. That's why Luthor did it, the pay off was great. He was going to use me to bring the soldiers to the other world…but he decided last minute he just wanted the money and didn't actually want to endanger kids anymore than he already had, so…well…he didn't exactly let me go, he did order Grant to kill me, but obviously he didn't. So I lived on the run for like two years. Well I lived with Grant and Riley for a while but then Grant was sort of caught so I lived on the streets for a while. I couldn't go home, I didn't have my memories and even when I got them back I couldn't return, Lex was watching the house," Tori frowned, why did he make Luthor seem like less of an ass than he was by saying he stopped to keep the kids from getting in anymore danger. She wanted to say something but decided against it, she had her turn,

"And you saw this check?" Brittany asked, "The money the…um…other Lex Luthor gave him?"

"I saw it. I did. I don't remember the exact amount, but it was fairly large…a lot of zeros,"

"Did he harm you?"

"The machine that the other him built did the hurting, but he did use it on me against my will so he'd get the money. It amplified my abilities to create an actual portal for him to walk through to the other world or vice versa. It kept me from actually teleporting so my molecules were constantly being ripped apart and put back together without me actually going anywhere,"

"So he enabled your mistreatment, and through funding Mac the mistreatment of the other children?"

"Yes," Adam said,

"No further questions for the witness,"

"Mr. Kower?" the judge asked, "Anything you'd like to ask?" Mr. Kower thought for a moment before shaking his head. Adam left the stand and Brittany rose to give her closing statement,

"I can't really tell what Adam did there…but it seemed like he tried to make Luthor less of a villain," Jason whispered in her ear,

"I know. I don't know what to make of it," Tori said,

"I'm sure there's a reason,"

"Do you think Lex Luthor got to him?"

"I don't think it was that…he still testified against him and Mac." The closing statements were said and done and now the jury left the room to decide the verdict. The waiting was excruciating. She just wanted this done. She could feel every glare Mac sent her way. But she refused to look his way,

"If I murdered Mac right now, would you be okay with that?" Jason asked, "Because I can,"

"As much as I would love that, I think this is a better way. He'll be behind bars for life, which is worse than death…death is took quick for a man like him." Jason probably rolled his eyes up in the rafters but didn't say anything. The jury walked back into the room and one man rose to give the verdict,

"The jury has found Mac Desmond guilty," he said simply. Tori couldn't help but tear up at the mention of that. It was obvious that would happen, it was obvious that he'd been served justice. Brittany hugged Tori as her friends and family cheered from behind where she said. Mr. Kower swiped his papers off his desk in anger while the judge pounded the gavel for order,

"Mac Desmond I hereby find you guilty—," Tori didn't even need to listen to the list of things Mac does, she just turned around to give Liam a hug, then Dick and Barbara and Tim and Stephanie and Jenny who ran up from her seat, "I sentence you to life in prison," Music to Tori's ears,

"Though one accused man has been sentenced today the claims against Lex Luthor must be investigated. Evidence has been given and a trial will be set if evidence is given…or he confesses," the judge said, "You will be contacted regarding the course of action for that accusation," Mac was led away and though the man was calm, she could see the fiery hatred in his eyes as he looked eyes with Tori for the last time ever. She couldn't help but smirk at that hatred in his gaze. He could hurt her or any others no longer,

"The two witnesses acting under duress will have no legal action taken against them. Court adjourned." Tori walked out of that court room feeling ten times lighter than she had in a while.

* * *

A/N: Yay! Finally the whole issue with Mac is over and Luthor is next. And Adam's mother finally knows he's alive! Find out what happens next on Monday! Hope you liked this chapter and...:

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

P.S: As for acting in duress I don't exactly know what really happens to witnesses admitting to doing something illegal or with the defendant. I don't know if they get put under search or under witness protection services or anything like that. So I'm just leaving it as nothing legal will be used against them.


	49. Chapter 49

A/N: Well this was a little late! Sorry I thought I set up the chapter to be posted but I hadn't until I checked how many chapters I already had posted. Nonetheless here it is! One more chapter! ONE MORE CHAPTER! AHHH. I'll post the next story the Monday after I post the epilogue that way I have more time to write and more time to get adjusted to college!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 49

"Great thinking, bringing the newspaper and photo back," Tori told Adam around a mouthful of ice cream. They'd all decided to go to their favorite ice cream parlor to celebrate, much to Alfred's annoyance. They had to cram four tables together just to fit everyone. It had taken them twenty minutes to actually leave the courthouse, the press all wanted statements and announcements and questions answered so it was pretty late when they finally arrived and got their treats,

"Actually that was Tim's idea. He brought the paper back. The photo was my idea though," Adam replied, taking a bite out of his cone. He'd downed his sweet treat quickly,

"I thought we'd need some form of evidence for the alternate universe. No one would believe that in a court of law," Tim said, offering a spoonful of his rock road to Stephanie, who in turn gave him a bite of her caramel swirl,

"I can't believe they believed it at all," Barbara said,

"I think with all the crazy stuff they've experienced just by living in Gotham, they kinda just took your word for it," Dick said with a shrug,

"I just don't understand why you made Lex out as less of the villain today," Liam said, "He was going to blackmail Tori—oh shit we forgot to mention that,"

"You only knew that because you broke into his building," Tori reminded him, "But still. What was with that?" Adam didn't answer, in fact he looked kind of uncomfortable. He still didn't answer as he finished off his cone. Tim rolled his eyes before answering for him,

"He did that because last night Adam and I paid Luthor a visit and we made a deal,"

"Tim! Stop doing things like that!" Stephanie said smacking his arm,

"Especially without informing me," Bruce said glaring at his adopted son,

"Bruce, really? I'm not a child anymore. Besides, this was a good thing,"

"What was this deal that you made?" Grant asked, "trust me, deals aren't always worth it,"

"Well, not mentioning all the yelling and threatening he did when we got there, we said we'd make him out as less of a villain, which could shorten his sentence and if he confessed it would be even better for him. He agreed to that. We also said that he couldn't go after anyone who testifies against him once he was out. That he was less than pleased about, but I reminded him that Adam could just teleport him to the other world and leave him there for his 'friends' whom he betrayed to deal with and he agreed to the deal full heartedly,"

"I'm too fast for his evil Mercy-bot to get," Adam said proudly,

"Mercy's a robot?!" Grant exclaimed,

"Who would name someone Mercy?" Adam said simply, "Plus, where does her gun come from? Have you ever seen her hold one? And yet she can shoot things!"

"I thought it was short for Mercedes!"

"Well it is short for that name, but not in this case," Tori said, grinning,

"She did always seem emotionless," Grant muttered,

"I can't believe this is all finally over," Liam said, "It seemed like yesterday that court date was set and we were all scrambling to get our facts in order,"

"I know. I'm so…I don't even know how to describe it," Tori said,

"Relieved? Victorious? Free?" Jason suggested, licking the dribble of ice cream that trailed down his cone,  
"Yeah, all of those things," Tori said, "I feel like I can finally breathe easy,"

"There's still Luthor's trial to deal with,"

"Well I'm not the center of that one. Adam and Grant are," Tori said, "That's their ball of stress to deal with,"

"Wait, what!" Adam exclaimed, "How am I going to do that! I don't have a lawyer! I don't even have money for a lawyer! I don't even know where to find a lawyer!"

"Adam. Calm down," Tim said, "You're not on your own anymore,"

"What do you mean?" Adam said,

"Mac's gone. We made a deal with Lex. Go home," Adam blinked at Tim as if stunned by the idea of going home,

"Go home?" he echoed, "I—I can…I can go home," he repeated simply,

"Yeah. And I think there are some people there who would be really happy to have you back," Tim replied, nodding to the entrance of the parlor. There, just outside the doorway stood Adam's mother. Adam stood and he walked over to her. He walked like a sleepwalker, no emotion on his face until his mother pulled him into her arms. Only then did his face crumple and he started to cry. They watched as they hobbled away in each others arms. They let them go, Adam and his family needed to catch up,

"That was so beautiful," Babs sobbed,

"There there Babs, there there," Dick said, patting her back as she sobbed into his shoulder,

"She's not even that far along," Tori muttered,

"What was that!" Barbara asked, her head snapping up,

"Nothing!" Barbara frowned but didn't say anything,

"This is so surreal. Everything is working out. I feel like for once a few years of somewhat normal peace should follow this," Tori said,

"There's still a lot to do though,"

"We need to find those kids still," Liam reminded everyone,

"That shouldn't be much of a problem. More and more remembering their past and going to the police to get them home. On top of that the authorities are actually looking for them now, well more efficiently than they were in the past at least. They're even involving some members of the Justice League," Tim said looking at his phone as he told them that, "The head scientist from the Bionic project just informed me that six more kids have been found all of them brought either home or to STAR labs,"

"That's great!" Stephanie said,

"I wonder if they're taking summer internships at STAR Labs," Liam mused, "I feel like I should help out if I can,"

"I'm sure they'd take a Bionic kid willing to help," Tori said.

They sat and talked for hours. It was like they hadn't just been sent to an alternate universe and went to trial with a scientific psychopath. It was as if the past three years hadn't happened, it was as if nothing had changed even if everything had. They were still there, together. Family, friends, siblings and couples. For once in a really long time the unknown of the future didn't seem so ominous or dangerous or life threatening. It was just unknown and Tori was okay with that. Whatever came, she had an armada of people to rely on.

Eventually everyone went their separate ways. Grant went home to Riley and Cordelia. Liam, Tim and Stephanie when back to their dorms. Bruce, Alfred and Damian had left earlier to begin patrol. Everyone else either having the night off or having been grounded from patrol. Dick and Babs went back to their apartment while Tori and Jason went for a walk. Holding hands they crossed the bridge to the warehouse district, where Jason's safe house was. Most of the other warehouses were unused or had been disassembled over the past two years and the stuff stored in them had been moved to a different area of warehouses. Somehow, the one Jason used remained undisturbed,

"It's finally over isn't it?" Jason said, "At least everything involving Mac and the other world's evil plan,"

"I'd like to think everything's just beginning," Tori said, "Nothing's set in stone, yet it doesn't feel like it'll take a turn for the worst. It almost feels like a break in the storm,"

"That implies there's still a storm," Jason said,

"Jay. It's us. There's always a storm coming," Tori replied, "but I feel like we have a break. We have time to just live our lives and be with the people we love,"

"You're strangely optimistic," Jason said. Tori rolled her eyes and ducked under his arm and hugged him from the side as they continued walking. It didn't matter what came tomorrow or the day after that. Mac was gone. Luthor was next. The Bionic kids were being found, and Tori would help them. They all would. It's what they do, and what they'll always do.

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A/N: Next and final chapter on Monday! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Any questions or concerns or criticism just review or PM moi!


	50. Epilogue

A/N: AHHHHHH! It's the LAST CHAPTER! AHHHH I can't believe it. Wow, thank you guys for sticking with me this far, we still have much more to go through and I hope you're excited for the next story! This is the epilogue. I hope you're excited, even if you have to wait another week for the first chapter of the next story! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

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Chapter: 50  
Epilogue

"This is disappointing," Ra's Al Ghul muttered as he stared around the hull of the Reach ship. Several dents were clear as day, as well as holes punched through that wall. A new wall had to be created to keep the ship from being destroyed by the water and the pressure put upon it,

"All our work has been taken from us," Queen Bee said, "Thankfully I have a few extras to spare. Your experiments can continue as promised,"

"Still, not as many as we hoped," Talia said, crossing her arms,

"Even so, it is something," Queen Bee said, a sneer of distaste on her face when eyeing the other woman,

"What is disappointing is the fact that my doppelgänger in the other world failed to cooperate," Lex Luthor stated, his eyes narrowing in anger at the very thought of the betrayal, "Took a lot of money doing it too,"

"Well that was your own mistake," Vandal Savage said, "Trusting yourself so readily,"

"True," Luther said, smirking, "Very true…but still…my _money!"_

"I'm more concerned about the girl," BlackBeetle said,

"What girl?" Talia questioned, "There are many girls in here,"

"Not any here. The one who managed to toss me around like I was a feather. The one who cut off my hand!" he growled, "She didn't move like a human…yet she was,"

"Maybe she's the product of the meta-gene," Luthor replied, shrugging, "The damage to this ship is more concerning. As well as the team slipping away with your experiments and the rogue Beetle. You're anger towards her will have to be dealt with later,"

"Our soldiers said she killed fifteen of their men. It took their leader slamming her into the wall to stop her," BlackBeetle pressed,

"Killed?" Ra's Al Ghul said, his attention being snagged from the new door, that wasn't really a door in the place of the hole in the wall,

"Killed," the brute confirmed, "Not only that but there were copies of the team. Two of the leaders. And two extra people. A man wearing a red mask and the girl,"

"Interesting. It seems that doppelgängers don't only exist for you Luthor," Ra's stated, "But I still don't understand why they are of importance. The only way back is through that Bionic boy Luthor's counterpart abducted. He got away, it's the only logical explanation that those other copies are gone by now,"

"We—," BlackBeetle started, but was interrupted by Damian scampering in holding a large black staple in his hands,

"Mama, Mama! Look what I found!" BlackBeetle watched the child with a sneer as two scientists came running in, looking flustered and wary,

"What is this?" Talia questioned, frowning at the browned stain on the end of one of the prongs,

"I dunno. It looked interesting," Damian said with a shrug. Causing Talia to laugh and ruffle his hair,

"That is what I used to trap the girl to the wall," BlackBeetle said, "It impaled her,"

"And yet…she lives?" Vandal Savage questioned,

"It is not confirmed, but she ran off this ship like the others. Completely undeterred by the injury," BlackBeetle said, "The blood was still fresh when we found it,"

"And—?" Talia questioned, "Who's was it?"

"It didn't match anyone here on this planet. She must not exist in our world," Beetle said, "But what we found was very interesting. There was presence of a drug in the blood. We managed to isolate it. It does not match any kind of drug here on Earth or on the home planet of the Reach,"

"So?" Ra's said, "I don't see why this concerns us or our plan,"

"Ah, for one so obsessed with immortality this information should very much intrigue you," Beetle said, a smirk in place. Ra's glared at the man—alien…creature. Whatever he was,

"What are you getting at?" Luthor bit in, a bored expression on his face. BlackBeetle nodded to one of the scientists, who dutifully started to speak,

"We tested the small sample of the drug we managed to isolate on various things and what we found was very interesting. The drug itself can heal almost anything. Whether it a wound, illness, and disease. you name it, it can heal it,"

"That is impressive," Queen Bee said,

"It gets even more impressive," the other scientist started, "We even tested the little concentration we had left on a recently dead guard. He was revived within a mere few minutes—,"

"What?" Talia gasped,

"Yes it was most incredible—,"

"What is this drug's name? Where is it found!" Ra's demanded,

"Can it be replicated?" Talia asked right after her father,

"No. It isn't anything we've ever seen," the first scientist stated, "The small sample we took was used up in our testing, we didn't think we'd find anything useful. But then the guard was revived…though only for a few minutes,"

"So it's temporary?" Vandal asked, raising an eyebrow,

"At that concentration yes," the second scientist said, "We never tried it at a higher concentration, we didn't have enough,"

"So you're saying that drug can bring the dead back to life?" Talia asked, wide-eyed,

"And maintain that state for a long, long time if the regenerative abilities of that drug are a stand along with resurrection," the first scientist said,

"The guard gave us a very valuable piece of information that will help you find…well…'more' of this drug or at least find the girl to get you the means to find it," BlackBeetle said, smirking at Ra's,

"What did he tell you?" Ra's ground out. His burning desire to live eternally cancelled out any grievances he had with the Reach and this damn BlackBeetle,

"A name. The name of the girl who possesses it in her system,"

"And what is that name?"

"Ah. This information doesn't come without a price," BlackBeetle said,

"Name it," Ra's said,

"Father!" Talia gasped, Damian, at the shock in his mother's voice and the tension in the room, moved closer to Talia. Gripping the end her shirt in his small fist as he stared about the room with wide eyes,

"I don't care what you all may think. I will get this information. I will get this drug. I _will_ have immortality," Ra's spat,

"Good. What we require is the assistance of one of your assassins. The one who goes by the name Deathstroke,"

"He's a mercenary for hire. He has no allegiance to the Light," Vandal said,

"Or to the League of Shadows," Ra's stated,

"Then hire him," BlackBeetle said, shrugging, "He can do your dirty work, but we'd like some of his expertise available on our end,"

"It will be done," Ra's said,

"Excellent. The girl goes by the name Talon,"

"Even with that information, there's no way to get to the other world," Queen Bee reminded them, "The boy who possessed the only way is safe on his own world,"

"Then we'll find a way. Unlock the teleporting ability here on this world,"

"And then what Father?" Talia questioned, "You go after her yourself? She killed without hesitation, she went up against an alien and nearly won,"

"No daughter. Of course not," Ra's said, "I'm going to make a deal. One my own doppelgänger cannot refuse. Immortality for him and for me. And I won't even have to lift a finger,"

"What are you saying?" Luthor questioned,

"I'm going to make my counterpart find her for me or at least allow my men access to his resources," Ra's said, a dark smirk forming, "He has a greater hold on that world, a farther reach. She won't even know what's coming."

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A/N: Ooooh League Of Assassins! Hope you enjoyed this story and are happy with how it wrapped up. The first chapter of the last(at least I think it will be) story with Tori and the gang will be posted next Monday. I don't know what time, I will try to post in the mornings like I have been but I will be starting college for the first time and will be friendless for the first week or two so I'll be busy meeting people and going to classes. If I change the day I post I'll let you all know! Thank you again for reading and liking my stories!

Any questions? Concerns? Comments? Or you just want to say hi! PM me or write a review!


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